Sunshine and Shadow
by gotsnape
Summary: The formatting here really bites. Sorry the chapter looks so crappy. I couldn't make the changes stick. Anywho, here is the update. I apologize for the wait. I have no excuse 'cept that I really wanted it to be good for y'all. Only two more chapters
1. Default Chapter

**Sunshine and Shadows**

**Chapter 1- A Young Fool's Path**

**20 points to anyone who can tell me what the theme for my titles will be. This is a terrible, nasty little plot bunny that has been burrowing about in my head for weeks. It was either kill it, or put it on cyber-paper. So, for better or worse, here it is.**

**This tale will contain a scene of terrible rape. Leave now, if that hurts you.**

**Well, it should hurt you. I mean, rape is an awful crime. But if reading about rape bothers you, please leave now.**   


The sea breeze carried the sounds of screaming gulls and chattering sunbathers to Ginny as she leaned her elbows upon the stainless steel surface of the cantina counter. Despite the crowd of beach goers, business had been slow at the tiny refreshment stand, but the day was just beginning and the heat would increase as the day aged. 

This was Ginny Weasley's third summer in the employ of Florean Fortescue, running the tiny ice cream parlour located in the resort town of Bagnor Regis on the English Channel. Florean had several of the silver units with their trademark canopies all along the British coast hoping to cash in on vacationing wizards and their families. The picturesque resort town had long been a summer playground for the magical community, but this early in the season, the crowds were mostly comprised of young, single witches and wizards. The families would come in droves as the summer progressed. While mind numbing, the work provided the recent Hogwarts graduate with needed funds and removed Ginny from under the gimlet eye of her mother, Molly. Indeed, the young witch reflected with a wicked smile, if Molly saw her daughter now, there would be hell to pay. 

Ginny was taking advantage of this unique brand of freedom by shedding the traditional witch's summer garb and was wearing a plunging halter top in bright lime green and yellow with a pair of frayed denim shorts that revealed more than it concealed of the young witch's body. A bill cap in the Fortescue colours covered Ginny's Weasley-red hair; a thick pony-tail poking out from the rear of the hat trailed to the middle of her tanned back. With her Muggle sandals of electric green, Ginny turned the heads of males, wizard and Muggle alike, as she made her way to and from the refreshment stand each day. 

Yep, Molly would have set the rolling surf aflame with her tirade before snatching her half-naked daughter home by the hair. 

That is why Ginny was careful to conceal herself beneath modest robes before apperating to the Burrow each evening after closing up. 

Pushing out her bottom lip, Ginny puffed at the fringe of red that dangled into her eyes and watched an overweight Muggle woman chase a screaming toddler down the pebbled beach. 'I don't know why Florean insists I open the shop this early,' Ginny groused internally. 'The business never really gets rolling until midday, but he isn't one to let the chance at a knut or a crown slip away.' With a sigh, Ginny reached beneath the counter and pulled out a large canvas bag containing her class books. Besides slinging sodas and dogs for Florean, Ginny was also enrolled in night classes at The Centre for Animal Care in Edinburgh, where she hoped to one day gain her license as a veterinarian to the wizarding world. Only able to afford two classes a semester, Ginny often complained she would be as old as Minerva McGonagall before she would be qualified to take her exams. Opening a particularly thick book which sprouted multi-coloured scraps of torn paper as book marks, she set herself to study unaware that eyes the colour of winter dawn were once more following her every move. 

Draco had noticed the youngest Weasley his first day in the resort village and his heart had climbed into his throat at the idea of the woman being this close. Over successive days, the wizard had observed the comings and goings of Ginny Weasley with concealed delight, for since his final year at Hogwarts, Draco had been fighting a growing attraction for the slender, waspish witch. During that time, his only access to Ginny's attention had been through baiting the girl unmercifully, often under the eyes of his fellow Slytherins. He had been pleased to see that the little red-head gave as good as she received and had managed to secretly hex him several times before graduation had called a halt to the mutual abuse. 

"Draco, dearest," Pansy Parkinson whispered into his ear, pulling his attention back to the pouting witch who was soon to bear his name. "spread this on my shoulders." 

Draco gave Pansy a wolf-ish grin. "With pleasure." He rose from his lounge chair. 

The coy witch released the clasp holding the tiny scrap of material to her abundant chest, a false blush moving over her high cheek bones, before lowering herself to the towel Draco had earlier spread upon the pebbled shore. 

Pouring the scented oil into one large palm, Draco rubbed his hands roughly over Pansy's bare back. 

"Mmmm." The witch moaned as his hands laved the glistening substance over her freckled skin. 

"Do you like that?" The young wizard asked, while his gaze returned to the red-haired witch at the cantina. 

"Oh yes." Pansy sighed, arching her back against the pressure. 

To further appease her, Draco allowed this slick fingers to travel along Pansy's ribs, just barely grazing the sides of her breasts. 

Pansy moaned once more. 

Draco let his eyes drift shut and in his mind, the woman sighing under his touch became flame haired and tiny. His movements slowed as he permitted the vision to grow more vivid. A slender back, tapering to a narrow waist. Slim, almost boyish hips that melted to thighs, legs so long... Bending, Draco pressed a kiss to the back of a neck, where in his head, red hair spilled to one side. 

Pansy rudely shrugged him away, demanding in a whine, "Fetch me a soda, Draco. Make sure it has plenty of ice. For the life of me, I can't understand why these Muggles insist on drinking the stuff lukewarm." 

Startled from his reverie, Draco hesitated, then blessed the lazy whore before him. He wiped the excess oil from his hands and rose to his feet. "Whatever you wish, my pet." He purred. 

With studied grace, Draco walked over the tiny, hot stones, his sandals creating a rolling, crunch where he trod. 

Ginny was deep into a chapter on difficulties arising from breeding kneazles to unmagical domestic felines and did not register the approach of a potential customer until a well-known drawl pulled her sharply back to the present. 

"So Weasley, upholding the family tradition of hard work and all that tripe?" 

Ginny's head jerked up and her eyes narrowed to brown slits when they fell on the form of Draco Malfoy leaning casually against the metal counter. "Someone has to foot the bill for those too lazy or too stupid to be employed, Malfoy." she replied in a bored tone. 

"Or too rich to find salaried slavery necessary?" Draco responded with a leer. 

"Give it up, Malfoy." Ginny snorted. "So what, you were born rich. You merely inherited what generations of Malfoys stole before you. I suppose that just means you are too lazy or too stupid to go out and steal your own fortune." 

_"Ooo, she's good!" _Draco applauded silently. 

The two stared hatefully at one another for a long moment before Ginny closed her book and tucked it under the counter. "What do you want?" she snapped, dragging a order pad and a pencil before her. 

Draco allowed his eyes to wander in an insulting manner over Ginny's body, lingering on the enticing dip of her navel. He licked his lips suggestively. "Depends on what you are selling." 

Her fingers tightened around the pencil with enough force to snap the slender piece, before Ginny managed to paste a nasty smile on her face. "Didn't realize you had to pay for that, Malfoy. Figured you for a rapist, actually." 

Draco's features froze and anger boiled up in his chest. "I have never..." Biting off the rest of the words, he directed his attention to the menu hanging behind the counter. "A soda. Extra ice, if you have it." he snapped. 

Ginny regarded Draco for a second before telling herself that she must have imagined the flash of hurt that had crossed his features before the angry scowl set up residence. "Sure." she said, tossing her pencil aside. "What type of soda you want?" 

"I don't give a damn. Just make it cold, fizzy and quick, Pansy is waiting." 

"Oh, Pansy is here? I was wondering what had the gulls so stirred up." Ginny moved to the cup dispenser, yanking a styrofoam container from its metal sleeve. Throwing the lid of the ice maker wide, she reached inside for the plastic scoop. Despite his ire, Draco kept his eyes fixed on her round, denim clad butt as Ginny leaned over the bin, filling the cup to its rim with slivery chips of ice. 

Slamming the lid shut, Ginny turned to the drink machine and pushed the mounded container against a small, black lever. A foaming stream of brown hissed from a tiny spout. As the cup filled, Ginny inquired in a lighter tone. "So, what are you and Pansy doing in Bagnor Regis? Figured you more for the Riviera." 

"We will _honeymoon_ on the Riviera, on Father's yacht. Right now, I am here at the invitation of the Goyles, who own an estate on the outskirts of this charming little burg." 

"I read about the upcoming nuptials in the Daily Prophet." She gave an exaggerated shiver. "Scary thought, that." Taking a plastic condiment bottle from a low fridge, Ginny directed a red stream into the cup, then returned the bottle to the ice box. The cherry she attempted to place in the beverage insisted on rolling off the mountain of ice, so she negligently bored a hole through the brown mound and crammed the cherry inside, its stem protruding into the air. 

"How so?" Draco inquired with a somewhat bored tone. 

"You know, society actually giving its blessing, knowing that you and Pansy will reproduce yourselves." She set the filled cup on the counter and tossed a straw down beside it. "One large cherry Coke. That will be four sickles, two." She informed him. 

"You are still the mouthy little bitch!" Draco snarled, pulling coins from a pocket and throwing them down on the counter with a loud clang. 

"And you are still the arse- hole-in-training we all know and love." Ginny purred with a smirk. "Give my regards to Pansy, will you? I know how much it will mean to her." 

'Like hell I am letting Parkinson learn that you are here and working as a waitress to boot.' Draco thought as he took his purchase. 'That bitch would have a field day!' 

"See you around, Weasley." Draco saluted her with the paper wrapped straw. 

"Not if I see you first, Malfoy." Ginny chirped back airily, wiping the counter top with a damp rag. 

Making his way once more over the beach, Draco reflected on his heart's reaction to Ginny's stab about rape. He had experienced many women since becoming sexually active, but all had come willingly to his bed. The Dark Revels he had attend with Lucius Malfoy had, mercifully, been free of that particular form of sick entertainment, though Draco knew that Muggles and magical folk alike were often brutally raped and killed for the amusement of Voldemort's Death Eaters. He wondered how much longer he and his future victims would be spared that moment. 

Draco stifled a groan when he spotted Crabbe and Goyle standing over the half naked body of his intended. The trashy witch had turned over and was reclining on her elbows, breasts exposed and gleaming in the hot sun; the two mindless body guards running their piggy eyes over Pansy's bare chest. Not that Draco gave a rat's ass. Pansy could walk the town stark naked for all he cared. That she had shared her body with both of the leering goons on many occasions did not effect Draco, except that in a few days, he would be calling their whore 'wife' and be expected to sire a child in her much used body. His stomach clenched. 

Would that he could just wed her and never lay eyes on her ever again! Let someone else endure her embrace on the honeymoon. However, the Parkinsons must have their gold and the Malfoy's their well placed connections. Sacrifices must be made. That Pansy was equally indifferent to Draco was of no concern to either family. The two of them had been pledged at birth. 

Tied together from the cradle to the grave. 

What a pleasant thought. 

"Draco! Draco, did you know that the Weasley chit is working in town? As a servant, no less! Gregory just told me." Pansy's voice rivaled that of the circling gulls, Draco mused while handing her the drink. So much for keeping Ginny Weasley's presence a secret. 

"Do cover up, my love." Draco growled low as he reclaimed his place by her towel. "You will be a Malfoy in less than a week. Time to scrape off the gutter slime and _act _like a lady." He yanked a skimpy cover up from her tote and threw it over her breasts. With a moue, Pansy complied. 

Squinting up at the hulking forms of Vincent and Gregory, Draco asked nastily, "Don't you two have anything better to do?" 

The young men exchanged confused glances before Crabbe answered for them. "No." 

Malfoy waved a hand dismissively. "Go...somewhere. Build a sand castle. You are casting a shadow over my couch and it annoys me." 

"Sure. Draco. No problem." Goyle responded and both heavy set wizards awkwardly plunked themselves down on the cobble sand and began to scrap it into a pile. 

Holding back an impatient sigh, Draco returned his attention to Pansy. 

"And yes, I know about Weasley. She prepared that beverage for you. She also sends her best wishes for a long and happy union." Draco's tone gave the lie it's intended slap. 

"I don't believe you!" Pansy snarled, not catching the joke. "That ugly little bitch never liked me. Probably hoping something terrible will happen to upset the ceremony." She thrust the cup back at Malfoy. "Here, she probably poisoned it." 

"For Merlin's sake, Pansy! I watched her make it. I wouldn't give you anything I didn't believe to be completely safe." Oh, that lie will come back to haunt you for sure, Malfoy old son! 

"I don't care." Pansy said, gathering up her things. "I am going in. I don't want to blister." 

"If you kept more clothes on, that would not be an issue." 

"Draco," Pansy laughed. "You are such an old fashioned wizard! I am going to have to liven you up a bit. Here, give us a kiss. I am meeting mother in Barcelona for lunch and then shopping. I may not be back until tomorrow." 

Draco placed a quick kiss on Pansy's puckered lips. "Enjoy yourself." 

With a flirty wave, Pansy set off up the beach to the hidden apparition spot. 

Her leaving managed to wipe all thoughts of Pansy from Draco's mind and as his eyes wandered over the rolling waves and wheeling shore birds, he brought the straw to his lips, drinking deeply. 

And felt heaven explode in his mouth! 

Clamping down on an ecstatic groan, Draco sucked once more on the device, filling his mouth with the tingling sweetness. What had Ginny called this potion? His mind fumbled for the memory as his taste buds did the happy dance. 

Cherry Coke! Large cherry Coke! That's it! 

Never, in all his privileged life had Draco's tongue bathed in such liquid perfection as now. The combined flavours of maraschino cherry and caramelized, carbonated water waltzed over his palate and down his throat, leaving an almost sexual satisfaction in its wake. 

One more reason to admire and desire Ginny Weasley. She could brew paradise in a white Styrofoam cup. 

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 

The days that followed the appearance of Draco Malfoy were maddening for Ginny; the hateful git appeared at her cantina several times a day, often flanked by Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, demanding a large cherry Coke, a plate of chips, ice cream or a dog. Sometimes, he materialized under the shade of the canopy for no other reason than to heckle the witch if they were alone, or jeer evilly at her should other, more civilized, customers be present. 

Their verbal exchanges were as blistering as the coastal sun. Draco would go on about the Weasley's poverty, all the while raking her body with his sliver-blue gaze. For her part, Ginny wielded her verbal blades with the precision of a female Severus Snape, gouging Malfoy about his lack of intelligence, ambition (unless being an Evil Overlord was an up and coming field of employment), and about his father, Lucius Malfoy. 

"You leave my father out of this!" Draco had demanded one afternoon following a particularly nasty remark from Ginny. 

"There are a great many things I would love to leave your father out of." Miss Weasley had retorted hotly. "Water, air..." 

Draco had stormed away, Crabbe and Goyle quickly following, juggling their paper plates and drinks. 

The street lights were just beginning to gather their fluttering, buzzing idolaters as Ginny began shutting down the stand. Her hair, damp with sweat and the grease that had floated on the muggy air from the fry baskets hung in a clump down her sticky back. With hands discoloured by snow cone flavourings and her skin smelling heavily of onions, she shrank the money bag holding that day's receipts and pushed it deeply into a pocket of her shorts. Certain that all was in readiness for the next day's crowd, Ginny pulled the key chain that held her miniaturized wand and opened the back door. Keeping a firm grip on the tiny splinter of wood, she surveyed the amber lit parking lot and closed shops, checking for danger. The majority of the shops were closed by now, and this stretch of the beach was fairly deserted except for the occasional couple out for a late stroll in the waves. In the distance, the lights from the pier glowed yellow-white. 

More than one clerk had been attacked and robbed in the time she had been working for Fortesque, so Ginny was cautious as she stepped from the trailer and quickly made her way across Clarence Road to the drop point that would take the cash bag right to Fortesque's home. After that, Ginny would proceed to the apparation zone, don something better suited to Molly Weasley's taste and apparate home. A quick wash and it would be off to Edinburgh. 

The waste bin outside the shop selling inflatable beach toys and wind chimes made from shells belched with satisfaction when Ginny made her deposit. Florean would be tickled with today's take, she thought. The crowds had been larger than normal, now that the season was picking up. Ginny considered asking the shop owner for some additional assistance at the cantina. She had worked herself to near exhaustion today and it would be helpful to have another person to run interference for her where Malfoy and his two pets were concerned. His almost constant presence at the shop and the lustful glances he tossed her way were beginning to take a toll on Ginny's nerves. 

_If he were only as beautiful on the inside as he is ...._ Ginny derailed that train of thought immediately. Ideas like that one had precipitated the biggest row between she and her brother, Ron, that Ginny could remember. All because of a stray comment that had slipped from her lips during one of the tirades against Slytherins, Malfoy in particular that Ron and Harry Potter were indulging in one evening just prior to the seventh year's graduation. 

"If I ever catch that turd alone, I'm gonna shove that pointy chin of his right up his arse!" Ron was snarling. 

"Well, he would feel right at home, now wouldn't he, mate?" Harry replied, equally pissed with the Slytherin Head Boy. 

Hermione Granger had simply rolled her brown eyes at Ginny and the two girls carried on with painting their toe nails in lurid, flashing lacquer. 

"I can understand Snape taking that bastard's side in this, after all they are both sorry gits, but Professor Lupin?" Ron bellowed, chunking his detention notice into the crackling fire place. "You would think, Lupin would have stood up for us." 

"Well if you two had not been out prowling after hours, you wouldn't be in detention." Hermione said with a sniff. 

"If that prat, Malfoy hadn't challenged us to a duel, then we wouldn't have been out after curfew, now would we, Miss-Live-by-the-Rules?" Ron retorted snidely. 

"You would think after what had happened to us our first year, trusting Malfoy to show up for a duel would be the last thing you expected." came Hermione's tart reply. 

"I can't believe I am sitting here listening to you make excuses for him!" Harry cried, his eyes blazing in anger and surprise at Hermione's lack of compassion for her two best friends. 

"I am not making excuses for Draco Malfoy!" Hermione yelled, equally incensed. "I am simply tired of hearing you two attempting to make excuses for your behaviour." 

"Turn coat!" Ron muttered under his breath, then said in a louder voice. "Tell her Gin, tell her what a royal shit Malfoy can be!" 

Ginny shrugged. "Well," she began, "he does seem to spend an awful lot of time targeting Gryffindors, you three in particular." The young girl kept her brown eyes on the paint brush she was moving over the nail of one toe. 

"Yea!" Harry agreed. "He seems to have singled you out for quite a bit of nasty doings besides. I have heard you two fighting at least three times a week." 

"He does, but I don't get the feeling that his heart is really in it, you know?" Ginny replied. A few seconds passed before the red head realized that a dead silence had fallen over the group and looking up, found three sets of eyes regarding her in disgust and amazement. 

"His heart's not in it?!" Ron bellowed, coming up out of his chair. "The bastard don't have one so far as I can tell! He torments you constantly. He has hexed you, for Merlin's sake! And you sit there and tell us his heart's not in it?" 

Ginny rose up defensively. "It's not like it happens all the time." Her voice competing with Ron's to shake the dust from the high stone ceiling. "He can be quite sweet, actually." 

Ginny thought Ron was going to strike her, so rigid did he become. Hermione must have felt the same, because she got to her feet and placed herself between the siblings. "Now Ron, I am sure that Ginny didn't mean it that way. Right, Ginny?   


Ginny glared at Hermione, then back to her brother who was breathing heavily. "Yes! I did mean it! Don't you dare go and try to change my words just to make Ickle Ronnie-kins happy. I happen to enjoy my fights with Draco!" 

"You're mad, that's what you are!" Ron barked. Harry tried to pull his angry friend back to his chair, but Ron twisted out of his grasp. "No sister of mine is going to stand here and tell me that she enjoys being hexed by that piece of garbage! He's a Death Eater, for crying out loud! What are you thinking?" 

"I'm thinking that I am going to my dormitory and climb in bed. The conversation down here has become infantile." With that, Ginny flounced around and would have made it to the stairs leading to the girl's tower had not Ron dodged around Hermione and grabbed his sister's arm in a painful grip. 

"What has he done to you?" He demanded, his face pushed close to Ginny's. "Has he been hitting on you, 'cause if he has, I will kill him!" 

Ginny tried to pry Ron's fingers from her arm, but he shook the girl roughly, yelling, "Have you let him touch you?" His eyes raked over her body with a look of distaste. 

Harry had to speak up. This was going too far. "Ron, let up. You are blowing this way out of proportion." 

He was too late. Ginny's open palm impacted Ron's cheek with the sound of a exploding Dungbomb. "You crazy git! Don't you ever speak to me like that again. You are not my keeper and I don't have to answer to you about anything, ANYTHING I do!" 

The conversation had gone steadily down hill from there. 

It was a memory that Ginny did not like reliving. 

Tossing her book bag over one shoulder, Ginny manuvoured through the thinned out crowds milling the sidewalks and headed to the secluded alley that had been set aside for apparating and disapparating. The sound of voices began to dim as she made her way along an empty stretch of sidewalk, the street lamps casting everything in shades of umber and black. Her wand was out and she was parting her lips for the disapparating spell when another voice intruded on the quiet. 

"_Accio _wand!" 

Ginny's wand flew from her fingers like a frightened bird, only to land docilely in Draco Malfoy's outstretched palm. "Where you off to, Ginny-girl?" he drawled, one corner of his mouth turned up in a smile. 

For a split second fear ran through Ginny's blood like scalding water. It was just as quickly replaced by a comforting rush of anger. "Give me back my wand, Malfoy!" she growled, advancing on Malfoy where he leaned casually against one brick wall of the alley. She made to snatch the slender device from him, but Draco quickly raised his arm above his head. Being much taller than Ginny, the wand was now very much out of her reach. 

"No. Not right at this moment, I think." He smirked down at Ginny, the silver eyes laughing at her futile attempts to snag his elevated hand. 

Her face flushed with heat, Ginny backed away with a huff. Crossing her arms angrily over her chest, she glared at the gloating expression Malfoy wore, wishing she could smack it clear across the alley. The sound it would make colliding with brick would be most satisfying. 

"Ok Malfoy, what do you want?" 

"Nothing much. Thought we could talk." 

"Talk? You want to talk? We have been talking, or more like bitching at each other for nearly a week now. Aren't you tired of it yet?" 

"Are you?" Draco inquired. 

"Truly, yes. I am also tired from working my tail off all day. I am ready to go home. I have classes tonight." Ginny's voice sagged, played out by the stresses of the day. "So, if you don't mind?" She held out her stained hand, impatient. 

Instead of relinquishing her wand, Draco seized Ginny's hand and pulled the startled witch closer. He examined the grimy palm and flipped it over to view the back. "What have you been up to, Weasley?" 

Ginny pulled, but Draco increased the pressure of his fingers. "It's snow cone flavourings. I haven't had time to use a proper cleaning charm. 

Pulling his wand, Draco muttered a few words and Ginny felt her skin tingle with the force of his spell. "Let me see the other one." He ordered. 

Rather than argue, Ginny obeyed and the sharp pleasure of his magic was repeated. 

Ginny pulled from Draco's touch, checking her hands carefully. 

"Did I miss a spot?" He demanded dryly. 

"No, just wanted to make sure I still had skin left, is all." Ginny replied with a grin. "I have never felt a cleansing charm like that before." 

The murky light leaking into the ally could not conceal the flush that crept over Draco's face, nor could it hide the hardening around the young wizard's eyes. "My father has rather high standards when it comes to personal hygiene. I learned early on to be thorough." 

"Hmm." Ginny murmured, then held out her hand. "I am going to be late and mum worries enough as it is, so if you don't mind?" She gestured impatiently with her fingers. "Thanks for the scrub." 

"You doff those rags and I will give you the full treatment." Draco teased, missing the spark of fear that flared in the deep brown of her eyes. He increased Ginny's anxiety by tucking her wand in the back pocket of his low-slung shorts. "Come on, Weasley, skive off class for one night. I promise to make it worth your while." To Ginny's eyes, his grin had become feral, predatory, as he slid closer, cutting off the meagre light and Ginny's escape route with his heavier body. 

The sound of Draco's voice was nearly drowned by the sudden roar of blood in Ginny's ears. Struggling to hold the welling fear at bay, Ginny produced a brittle laugh. "Get over it, Malfoy. I'm not interested. Go hook up with Pansy." 

Draco's form totally eclipsed even the stray glimmers of street light now and Ginny could barely make out his features, but she could detect the harsh line that appeared between his brows. "I don't care to 'hook up' with Pansy. S'bad enough I will be spending the rest of my life with the b...." Draco bit off, lifting his hand to stroke the backs of his fingers tenderly along her cheek. "I am a man being given a life sentence, Ginny-girl. Won't you help me spend my last hours," His hand crept along the side of her neck, his thumb gently caressing the pale shell of Ginny's ear in passing. "With someone I genuinely," Draco's other hand slid, unhindered, around Ginny's narrow waist, the feel of her sweat-damp skin under his palm causing his heart to race. "respect." 

All of this went unheard by the shattered young woman as images of another young man raped her mind. Black hair. Eyes, frigid and hard with decades of carefully nurtured hate. And the hands........ 

Cold! 

So cold! Like a corpse! 

His lips had barely grazed her cheek when Ginny rebelled. 

"No!" Her choked scream took Draco by surprise, and he was unprepared for the rain of fists pouring down on his head, shoulders, chest, anything that could be reached by the sobbing, whimpering woman twisting in his arms. 

"No! No! No! No! No!" Ginny chanted, her voice high and fragile. She caught Draco a stinging blow along one cheek as she attempted to climb up and over his body. 

"Ginny!" Draco whispered harshly. "Ginny, calm down. My god, woman! Shut up!" 

He shoved her roughly from him, pulling his wand as Ginny sank to the filthy concrete, her arms wrapped tightly around her upraised knees. 

"What the f..." he snarled, only to halt his words at Ginny's mewling plea. 

"Mummy!"   


**Ok, I am going to stop right here, peeps. Tell me what you think so far. Good? Bad? Should I flush it down the potty before I do more damage to the fanfic world? Let me know. This is just a vicious little plot bunny that has been thumping rather rudely about my brain for a bit. Let me know if you want me to kill it.**

**And before we go too far, I will let you know....there will be a violent rape in this story.**

**Please tell me what you think.**

**gotsnape**   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Tumbling Stones

**Sunshine and Shadows**

**Chapter 2-**

Awareness returned slowly. Ginny sighed as the dark madness receded from before her eyes. It was replaced by a view of white-blond hair laying over a patch of tanned flesh that thrummed steadily, as if a tiny heart beat just below the skin's surface. Beneath her fingers Ginny could feel a pounding that kept time with the little tic. A scent drifted into her nostrils, a mixture of surf and clean sweat. She breathed in deeply, turning her face further into the curve of warmth that supported her head. 

"Ginny?" 

_Holy crap!_

Launching herself upright, Ginny staggered to her feet and stared down at Draco Malfoy where he reclined upon a heavily cushioned sofa upholstered in deep sea green. Her eyes then darted about the room, alert, frightened. Finding no crowd of Death Eaters preparing her doom, Ginny returned her gaze to Draco, who had moved his body upright but remained sitting on the couch. "What am I doing here?" she demanded, forcing her voice to calm. "What time is it?" 

"I brought you here because you were having some type of fit." he drawled nonchalantly. "As for the time, around midnight." Draco studied the young witch carefully. He had held her for hours as she had alternated between keening wails and muttered pleas. Nothing he had attempted was successful in freeing the girl from the black dream that prowled within her mind, so he had simply held her until the cries and whimpers ceased. He had been toying with the idea of summoning Professor Snape when her body had finally relaxed against his chest. 

"Midnight?!" Ginny shrieked. "Mum will be frantic! She probably has the entire family out looking for me. I have to get out of here!" She spied her book bag in a heap near the door and scramble anxiously to retrieve her property. 

"You will need this." 

Draco rose from the sofa, Ginny's wand held in his outstretched hand. 

"Yea, thanks." she said, coming forward, her fingers closing around the slender rod. 

Draco tightened his grip. "What happened to you tonight, Weasley?" His voice was pitched low and Ginny was surprised to hear genuine concern in his tone. 

Her cheeks flooded with heat, and with more force than was necessary, snatched the wand from his hand. "It's nothing." she muttered. "Look, can I disapparate from here?" 

"Nothing? You were hysterical for nearly three hours." Draco demanded. "I don't believe you." 

"Ok, how about I say it's none of your damn business and leave it at that!" Ginny snapped, her face stinging. Turning away, she moved to the door but Draco's hand on her arm caused her to jump, screaming, out of his reach. "Don't... don't ever touch me!" 

Draco raised both hands, palms outward. "Who hurt you, Ginny?" He inquired softly. 

With a huff, Ginny glared at the young wizard. "No one has 'hurt me'." she replied with a sneer. " I don't care for the touch of a Death Eater. So you can take your psudo-sympathy act and cram it." Her chin thrust itself out defiantly. 

Hair, the color of moonlight, fell past Draco's shoulders, the rough cut fringe dangling over his eyes. In the lantern light, those eyes glittered like blue diamonds in the perfect setting of his tanned face. The black tank top he wore emphasized his broad chest and shoulders earned by hours of Quidditch play, the arms and hands equally developed. When he advanced, it was with a sliding, dancer's grace, made almost without conscious thought. Ginny backed way cautiously, her brown eyes never leaving the bronze figure that continued to move closer, until the bare skin of her back pressed against the cool wood of the chamber door, Draco's chest brushing lightly against her own. Ginny fingered her wand, but Draco moved no closer. His hair fell in a curtain on either side of his face as he looked down at her, his brows furrowed. Displaying his left forearm, he challenged her with its nakedness. "I have no Death Eater brand, yet you accuse me." Ginny jerked her eyes from the smooth skin, her breathing becoming rapid and shallow. 

As he lowered his arm, Draco allowed the back of his fingers to gently slide over her flushed cheek. Her eyelids fluttered and he could feel her tremble even though their bodies were not touching. 

The silence became stretched out like saltwater taffy before Draco spoke quietly and Ginny could feel his words vibrating within her own chest. "Are you afraid off all men, or just me in particular?" 

A shudder ran through Ginny as she considered her response. She licked her lips, her eyes skittering away from his intense gaze. "Yes, just you." She lied. _Better to be scorned for the lie than hated for the truth. _She felt his body stiffen slightly before his disbelieving snort raised the hair along her brow. 

"Bullshit, Weasley!" he barked. "I have never had the power to scare you, not even while you were still a baby at Hogwarts. You were the only one out of the entire Gryffindor pride that showed some sort backbone; well, except for Granger. Every time I came across you in the corridors, your little tail would fluff up and you would hiss and spit like a rabid kitten." 

"That's because you were always hexing me!" Ginny snapped. "You were a nasty, evil bully." 

"Yes, but you took my hexing and vexing without falling into a gibbering heap as you did tonight." He captured her chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting her face, and her glare back to him. "If I had pulled my wand and threatened you in that alley, you would have hit me with everything you had," He grinned. "Just like old times." His thumb stroked along her chin, pulling gently at the skin just below her lip. "What did I do that frightened you so, Ginny-girl?" 

_You touched me! _Her mind wailed. 

"Don't call me that." She whispered, her breath skimming over the back of his hand. "I haven't been a _girl _in a very long time."   
She watched as his brow furrowed in confusion. Ducking her head, Ginny squirmed around his frame, feeling suddenly chilled as she left the warmth Draco had provided. "Look, I appreciate you watching out for me and all tonight, but I really need to get home. There will be hell for me to pay as it is." Her brown eyes darted to his face, then flitted away like a pair of frightened wrens. 

"What will you tell your folks?" Draco inquired, as Ginny shouldered her bag. When she merely shrugged, he continued, "I can accompany you. Explain what ...." he began. 

"No!" Ginny cried, raising a clenched fist. When he remained immobile, his eyes calm, she forced her fingers to relax then raked the trembling digits through her work grimed hair. "You have already done enough damage for one night, Malfoy. Let's not make it worse by having you explain to my parents that you drove me to hysterics by assaulting me in a dark alley." 

"I did not assault you!" Draco declared hotly. "I invited you to spend some time in my company." 

"The difference being?" she returned with a snarl, causing Draco's lips to twitch in a near smile. 

"Ok." He conceded with some reluctance. "At least allow me to accompany you as far as your home. That way, if you splinch yourself, I will be around to enjoy the show." The evil glint Ginny remembered from school was back in the arctic blue of his eyes and for some reason, its return brought her comfort. 

"Fine!" She huffed, poking her chin forward mulishly. "Just to the lane, and then you get lost." Her voice hit the last two word hard. 

"Deal!" Malfoy barked, then _accio'ed _a light cloak from a nearby closet. "It will be chillier there than here." He stated, catching her glare. 

"I know that, you daft bugger! I do this every freaking night." Jerking the door open, Ginny marched from the flat. Moist, salt air greeted her and Ginny sighed in relief as she spied the lights of Bangnor Regis shining small and bright in the distance. Draco must have taken a place in one of the up scale condominiums that had sprang up further along the coastline from the little seaside village, she mused. Of course, Draco would never consider staying in one of the local family inns. Too posh by far, the nasty git! 

"We will have to move to the pavement." 

Ginny flinched, barely controlling the urge to bolt, when Draco brushed her arm in passing, his words hanging on the warm air. Following his lithe form, she found herself soon standing on a bit of sidewalk bordered by a low, shell covered wall. Draco turned and held out his hand, palm up. "I installed the apparating wards to avoid being surprised by unwanted guests." He explained. 

"Your folks?" Ginny asked, cautiously laying her palm upon his and feeling long fingers wrap around her hand. She fought against two opposing urges. One to snatch her hand away, the other, to cling to the firm warmth he provided. 

Draco shook his head. "Miss Parkinson." he replied bitterly, then grinned. "You will have to step closer if we are to apparate as one." 

Reluctantly, Ginny moved nearer until her shoulder was pressed into the fabric covering Draco's chest. "Do you know the way?" She asked in a strained voice. "To my house, I mean." 

She could feel his chuckle as Draco's torso shook beside her, then gasped when his long arms wrapped themselves about her narrow waist and gently held her against his body. "Tell you what, Ginny-girl. You navigate and let me do the driving, ok?" 

Her insides quivered with trepidation, mixed with a tingle of something she could not identify, yet wanted to explore. With a sigh and a nod, Ginny lay her head upon Draco's chest and forced her self to relax. 

There was a loud _POP! _then pavement lay empty. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The pair appeared on a dirt track that wound its way through a small bit of meadow before melting into the chaos that was the Weasley front garden. A bit disoriented with the tandem apparation, the two young people leaned against one another, catching their breaths and their stomachs. Ginny had pressed her face into Draco's breastbone during the spinning flight, inhaling great lungfuls of his odor, absorbing the steady beat of his heart. 

For his part, Draco had brought his free hand up to cup the back of Ginny's head, his cheek laying heavily on her tangled red curls. The scent of onions, grease and drink syrup barely covered the rising aroma of womanliness that filled his nostrils and set his nerve endings on full alert. As the world about them ceased its careening and Draco experienced the firm ground once more beneath his feet, he was forced to admit that he wanted this woman. Not just for a night or some hot weekend. He wanted her for always. There was just one small problem... 

Pulling on her damp hair, Draco gently tilted her face up, his lips skimming over the heated skin of her brow. 

Ginny shoved him away roughly, her cheeks flaming. "Ok, you took me home. Now go!" She bit the words off hastily as she glanced over her shoulder at the lighted windows of The Burrow. 

"You need to work on your manners, Ginny-girl." he drawled. "People could get the idea that you did not want to be seen with me." 

"It seems that you are the only one that doesn't 'get the idea', Malfoy!" Ginny growled, turning to go. "And don't call me that any more." 

"See you tomorrow, Ginny-girl." He quipped in a low whisper. 

She froze in her tracks, looking back to where he stood upon the path. Her gaze traveled over him, admiring the way his cloak hung from his broad shoulders, the moonlight sheen of his hair as it was pulled across the clean line of his cheek by an errant breeze, the narrow line of his sculpted nose and brow, the blue fire of his eyes. Draco's form possessed all that was beautiful, alluring and sexual. He knew how to use the gifts genetics and money had provided and that made him very dangerous. She wanted him to be the boy that taunted and teased her back in school, not this delicious devil before her now. He repelled her, while at the same time, she longed to be held against his strength once more, to feel something... 

Returning to stand before him, Ginny glared into his tanned face, her voice low and menacing. "I want you to stay away from me. I am not going to be some final, sick fling before you shackle yourself to Parkinson. You may think you are sex walking, Draco, but you and everything you stand for, make my skin crawl." Ginny saw his eyes flinch in startled pain before the cold shutters she remembered from school slammed into place. "You want me to beg? Ok, I will. Draco, please leave me alone. I really need the money I get from working at the cantina." She paused and swallowed. " I don't want to quit, but if you come back to mess with me again, I will have to. If you have an ounce of pity in that heart of yours, please, please leave me in peace." 

In the silence that followed her heated plea Draco glimpsed the future laying before him. The last days of sunshine were fast slipping through his fingers and shadows, deep and cold, were shrinking all that was bright and good into nothingness. His heart wanted to fail, to cease its beating at this bleak view. Then he lowered his gaze to the fiery young witch hissing before him and pledged that he would not go down without a fight. 

"You had better start writing that letter of resignation then, Weasel." he said tightly and before she knew what he was about, Draco had kissed her startled mouth and vanished. 

TBC 

**Ok, I know it has been a long time in coming. It will be over in a few more chapters. I promise to work harder. I have no excuse for not finishing this. It really is a good story.******

**Well, at least it was when I dreamed it.******

**Really, I did dream it! I dream all my stories. I just wish I wrote them as fast as I dreamed them. I could have beat JKR to Harry Potter if I had just been quicker on the draw.******

**This is unbeta-ed, so be nice to me.******

**gotsnape**   
  
  
  
  



	3. The Sawtooth Edge

**Sunshine and Shadows-3 This chapter is dedicated to Kendra who scared me with her review. Hee-hee!**

**The Sawtooth Edge**

Waves of pewter, pink and deep coral licked and lapped at the glistening skin of the shore, causing it to sigh in sensual pleasure. The figure emerging from the French doors, dressing gown loosely belted about his waist, gazed upon the surf as it stroked its way along the whispering beach line. He sipped appreciatively at a scalding cup of Black Rhino, the coffee's heady aroma tickling his brain in preparation for the vascular assault of barely legal levels of caffeine. The stuff in his mug would have kicked Earl Grey's ass up and down the beach, the platinum haired wizard reflected with a grin. It had been his morning ritual ever since Severus Snape had turned him on to the beverage the morning following Slytherin House's spectacular graduation celebration. Two sips and Draco's hangover had fled in terror. He could almost hear the potent brew growling as it careened through his system, seeking out unwary blood cells. 

Images from the previous evening paraded before Draco's eyes as he took another jarring mouthful of liquid life. That Ginny Weasley had been subjected to some type of sexual trauma was evident. It was the degree of lingering damage that concerned the aristocratic young wizard at present. When he had approached the woman in the darkness of the alley, she had flown at him like a wild bird, desperately beating her wings against his greater strength in her desire to flee. He had thrust her from him and watched, at first in disgusted alarm, then in growing concern, as Ginny sank to the filthy cement. For a moment, Draco feared that he had caused the witch some damage, then he heard her terrified, child-like whisper. 

"Mummy." 

Draco had crouched before the trembling figure, leaning to the side to allow a sliver of light from the street to illuminate her features. Emerald eyes wide, Ginny had made no response when Draco hesitantly pushed a strand of hair from her tear streaked cheek. Her lips had worked soundlessly, her body curling in tightly upon itself, while her gaze remained fixed on a terror only she could view. She had offered no resistance when he had scooped her into his arms and disapparated to his flat along the shore. 

The next hours had passed in waking nightmare as he alternated between restraining and comforting the traumatized young witch. She had fought him with the strength of a lioness, but it had been her keening sobs that had wounded Draco to his soul. What had happened to the fiery Gryffindor cub that he had once delighted in hexing at the drop of a pointed hat? Who could have taken the light from her snapping, green eyes and replaced it with the glow of madness? Damnit, the girl had five older brothers! Where were they while their sister was being ravaged and brutalized? They should have protected her better, Draco raged. _He _would have protected Ginny, kept her safe. Damn them all for failing in their duty. 

And damn the bastard that had taken advantage of their lassitude. 

A sharp _POP _snatched Draco from his ruminations. An elderly house elf dressed in an immaculate black tea towel was placing a covered silver tray on a nearby table. The creature's expression was one of strict decorum from the hooded, bulging eyes to the iron hard upper lip but the over all effect was marred by the pair of child's briefs adorning his fleshy head, floppy ears poking through the frayed leg openings. 

"I is bringing you a bit of breakfast, Master Draco, sir." The elf said in a clipped, precise voice. 

Hiding a fond smile behind his cup, Draco acknowledged the elf with the briefest of nods. 

"Is you be wanting a bath, Master?" The wrinkled creature inquired, unfolding a pristine napkin with a practiced snap. He waited patiently as Draco took his seat, before laying the cloth on the wizard's lap. 

"A shower, Fetcher." Draco answered. The house elf proceeded to load a plate with sausages and yellow clouds of fluffy scrambled eggs. "I haven't the time to linger this morning." 

"Is the Master to be dressing for business or pleasure?" Fetcher asked, slowly blinking his huge green eyes. 

"Neither." The young master snapped, and the elf retreated slightly. "Miss Parkinson will be joining me for lunch and then we are scheduled to sit for the wedding portrait." Draco's throat spasmed as he tried to force the food into his stomach. Just one more prick of the tormentor's blade, he thought, before the actual sacrifice is performed. 

"Ah, the cream linen for lunch then, master?" When Draco nodded, Fetcher continued. "Is Master Draco wanting Fetcher to send the wedding robes on to the studio?" Wrinkles of sadness were sneaking from under the waist band about the creature's forehead. 

"You can burn them, for all I bloody care!" The young wizard growled only to present a halting hand to the suddenly giddy elf. "No, no, Fetcher! We can't destroy the damned things. I shall be needing my burial shroud for the big day!" He concluded bitterly. 

The house elf's ears sagged once more. 

Draco wiped his mouth with the napkin and then tossed it to his plate. "I don't know why you should be so gloomy. You are my servant and Pansy will think twice before ordering you about." 

The house elf laid the fingers of one hand timidly upon one of his master's silk covered knees. "Fetcher is not wanting Master Draco to be unhappy. Fetcher is thinking this marriage is bad for my young master." 

"Well," Draco began gruffly, his silver eyes peering out at the waves. "It is not your place to think." The words were balanced in their sting by the touch of his palm over the elf's cotton covered pate. "It will just get you into all sorts of trouble." 

Sighing heavily, Fetcher nodded. The two were immobile for a long moment, the laughing of the ocean and the singing of the salt breeze, the only sounds. 

Suddenly rapping his knuckles upon Fetcher's skull, Draco snorted. "It is too fine a morning to be wasted on dread! Have there been any owls?" 

Struggling against his natural inclination to scamper, Fetcher went to the owl slot. Draco was helping himself to another cup when his major domo returned, a scroll covered tray balanced on one leathery palm. Gesturing to the tottering pile of parchment, the wizard asked, "Is there anything of import?" 

Speaking through his long nose, Fetcher intoned formally, "A missive from your lady mother, a note each from Miss Parkinson and young Master Goyle, four scrolls from your cousins in France and a card from Madam Pooph reminding the young master of his appointment to select a china pattern. The remainder is junk owls, Master. Is you wanting Fetcher to deal with the rubbish in the usual manner?" 

"Please." 

Fetcher scooped up the majority of the scrolls and vanished with a _POP_, leaving Draco with his mail. He easily identified Pansy's correspondence by the sheer, tasteless quality of the heavy parchment and gaudy ribbon. The newly rich can be so tacky, Draco sneered as he pushed the roll aside. It was bad enough that he had to share his afternoon with the chit! He refused to allow Pansy to plague him at his breakfast table! He pulled his mother's familiar stationary from the pile, broke the delicate wax seal and settled back to read. 

_My Dearest Draco, _Hello, Mum! 

_From the moment of your birth, you have been my pride, my angel. Even enduring twenty-six, bone crushing hours of labor could not dim my joy! Knowing that such a son as you was delivered of my body is the greatest reward of my life. When I first beheld your perfect face, I swore to employ myself in giving you every happiness. Even at this time, the bleak dusk of your youth, I have come with a glimmer of sunshine, my darling._

Draco quirked a brow and smiled. Mother, what have you done? 

_Having learned through house elf gossip (Yes Draco, I still attend to house elf gossip!) that you are to be burdened with Miss Parkinson's presence this afternoon, I have put the Malfoy name to some good use and have procurred a spot for your intended at The Madam Boule' Salon in Paris. You realize that only the very creme' of wizarding families are welcome in Madam's establishment and without my sponsorship, Miss Parkinson and her mother would have not even been asked to make soap deliveries! A few well placed words and four thousand galleons... viola! You have a Parkinson free day._

__Draco's face cracked in a massive smile 

_Upon being informed of this exclusive and EXPENSIVE opportunity, Miss Parkinson dissolved into paroxysm of blubbering, gushing appreciation, delivered in very poor French. Where did the tart pick up such a disagreeable accent? It is simply horrid!_

_As I write, Miss Parkinson and her massive cow of a mother are preparing themselves for the journey. You should be receiving an owl from the giggling twit breaking your lunch engagement (were it the marriage engagement, my precious!) close upon the heels of this happy missive. The studio has been informed of the change in plans as well and has re-scheduled your sitting._

Oh Mummy, how I love you! 

_And there you have it, my son. Your mother has once again taken on the agonizing task of providing you life, even if it is just for one more day. As I must accompany the Parkinson's to secure their admittance into Madam's presence, I beg of you, do NOT waste this gift!_

_Should I not survive the experience, have me laid out in the blue taffeta with the cream and gold lace. It brings out the gold in my hair._

_I love you,_   
_MUMMY___

" I love you, too." Draco murmured, kissing the parchment. "Fetcher!" He bellowed, feeling as if a massive weight had been lifted from his chest. 

"Yes, Master Draco?" Fetcher appeared, bowing. 

" We have been granted a reprieve. I think I will take you up on that bath, and then I will be spending the day at the beach." Draco grinned. 

" Very good, sir. Then you is going to be wanting the coconut scented water." Fetcher stated formally. 

Ginny growled low in her throat, but continued with her work. The line at the snack cantina had dwindled down to a remaining few customers, but it was not the queue of patiently waiting beach goers that caused her anger. She stewed over the pair of burly idiots that lingered under one of the umbrella covered tables. Crabbe and Goyle had put in an appearance shortly after Ginny had opened for business. They had lingered for hours, harassing her with their mindless insults and tossing trash about on the cobbly sand. Her attempts at driving them off had been rewarded by barking laughter and increased rubbish. Now, she was reduced to ignoring them as she prepared the last of her orders. 

She slid a cardboard tray loaded with dogs and chips to the last wizard at the counter and rang up his purchase. Wishing him a good day, Ginny grabbed a cleaning rag and busied herself with cleaning up. With the increased volume of beach visitors, her lunchtime rush was the most hectic part of her day. If everything ran as usual, she would have about two hours of infrequent customers before the second wave around two o'clock. That would give her time to pack in some studying. 

That is, if she could rid herself of the idiots in the shade. 

_Sigh! _There was nothing for it save continued ignoring. The louts bought the occasional soda, and had the sense to remain quite when other, more civilized customers were present, so Ginny figured she could endure their being around, unless they became too rowdy. 

Or their presence conjured up a third, more threatening, person. 

Draco! 

Draco-effing-Malfoy! 

She was still simmering over the events of the previous evening. Because of his high-handedness, Ginny had not only missed class, but had been subjected to hours of shrill monologue from her mother, delivered with a side order of disgusted glares from her father and brothers. Molly had gone on and on about how Ginny's tardiness had upset the family; how they had searched the beach resort for hours, even calling in wizard law enforcers to search for the missing girl. Mrs. Weasley had harangued the young red-head about her lack of consideration, when Ginny had muttered something about going off with some friends after work and loosing track of time. The tirade came to an end only when Ginny stomped from the room, screaming, "Put it in a Howler, Mum!" 

Breakfast at the Burrow had been a silent, chilly affair and Ginny had disapparated with Molly's disapproving glower as a farewell. 

If she ever laid eyes on that silver haired shit again... 

" 'Afternoon, Weasley." 

_SLAP!___

The wet towel wrapped itself around Draco's head, filling his nostrils with the odor of old grease. He peeled the disgusting rag from his face, staring angrily at the mulish red head behind the counter. 

"What the hell is this all about?" He demanded, tossing the oily rag aside. 

Ginny refused to grant him a reply and instead occupied herself with re-stocking the cup dispensers. 

Draco leaned one elbow on the stainless steel surface and grinned evilly. " This would not happen to be about last night, would it?" 

Again, the stony silence save for the _zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzziiiiiiiiiiiiiiP!_ of cups being forcefully shoved into their metal prison. 

" What happened last night, Draco?" Goyle inquired and the blond Slytherin cursed himself for speaking so loudly. Best to just play it out. 

Smirking over his shoulder at the hulking pair, Draco drawled. " Let's just say that Weasley here has a soft spot for snakes. Cannot afford to be seen with a Weasel in public, however." He gave his brows a suggestive wiggle that sent Crabbe and Goyle into fits of brainless laughter. 

Turning once more to the fuming young witch in the cantina, Draco intoned teasingly, " So, have you written that letter yet?" 

Ginny gave him the full blast of her icy green eyes before hurling the grease coated fry baskets into a sink of soapy water. 

Draco leaned further over the counter and whispered, " Ginny-girl." 

"I told you not to call me that!" The young witch hissed, scrubbing the wire baskets with a metal brush, dearly wishing it were Malfoy's face she was pressing into the murky water. 

The wizard trailed one finger along the scratched counter top. " Come on, Weasley. Shut this hell-hole down for the day and we can go to my house and play." 

"Sod off, Malfoy!" 

" I will let you use my wand." More brainless snickers from the umbrella. 

Ginny slammed the brush into the suds, her shoulders slumped. " You don't get it, do you? You just don't FREAKING get it!" She whirled on Malfoy, her eyes brimming with angry tears. " I NEED this job, you rich ass-hole! Do you realize how hard it is to find good paying, summer work?" Mockingly, she slapped a palm on her forehead. " Oh, that's right! You're a gentleman of leisure!" She sneered out the word, 'gentleman' like a curse. 

Draco forced himself not to recoil from the rage and pain on Ginny's face. _Obviously NOT in a teasing mood. Ooooooooooooooooooo-kay. Time to try a new game plan. _Reaching into the pocket of his low slung trunks, he pulled out his wallet. Draco figured he would purchase a drink, saunter off with Dim and Wit in tow, give the witch a while to cool off and come back alone. He refused to waste the opportunity his mother had provided. He would speak with Weasley! He would make her listen. 

" Well, this _gentleman_ wants a soda." Draco hummed, tossing the required coin upon the counter. 

"No!" 

" What?" 

" Clueless, lazy _and _deaf. You never cease to amaze me, Malfoy." 

" I demand you provide me with a large cherry coke!" 

" I'm closed!" 

"You are not!" Draco planted both palms flat on the counter. 

" Yes, I am!" Ginny screamed. 

" Not!" Draco responded with equal heat, suddenly enjoying himself. 

" AM!" Ginny reached out and flipped the release on the roll-up security panel. With a shuddering clang, the door descended. Draco's scream of pain brought the day's first smile to Ginny's lips. 

On the other side of the partition, Draco sucked the blood from his pinched and rapidly bruising fingers. Grabbe and Goyle rushed to his side. 

" Draco, man, you can't let the bitch get away with that!" Goyle insisted, pulling his wand. 

" Yea!" Crabbe agreed. " You want us to rough her up for you?" 

Through the throbbing of his abused hands, Draco recoiled at the prospect of the two goons taking on the tiny woman. He also realized that he could not appear to let this incident slide. That would be too out of character. 

" No!" He barked, snatching his own wand free. " I want to handle this alone." His cold, hard tone promised much suffering for the uppity chit and Crabbe and Goyle beamed at the prospect. 

Storming around to the side of the metal unit, the wizards found the door locked and warded from within. " Keep a lookout!" Draco snapped and focused his will upon breaking Weasley's spells. 

It took him several tries, but finally the shiny panel exploded inward. All three wizards hit the dirt as hexes flew from the dark interior. 

" Cover me, then keep outside!" Draco declared before making a rush for the open doorway, spells and curses sizzling over his shoulders to vanish in the gloom of the small trailer. Diving inside, he kicked the door shut, at the same time, blasting the cramped space with a strobe spell. He closed his eyes against the brilliant blast of light, hoping that he had temporally blinded the witch. She could make short work of him in such a tiny cell. 

" _Accio wand! _" Draco called, then cursed roundly when Ginny's wand smacked him hard in the nose. Grabbing the offending baton from the air, he lurched to his feet, eyes darting about the shadowy clusters of stainless steel. With the security panel down, the heat from the grill and fry pots was oppressive and the only light was that which managed to creep in from under the closed shield. 

Where could the girl be hiding, Draco wondered. The place is not THAT large. Unless.... This was a wizarding building, and looks could be deceiving. There could possible be several chambers on the other side of the unit. Cautiously, he made his way along the serving line to peek around the corner. 

With a warrior cry, Ginny hurled herself up at Draco from where she had crouched behind the ice bin. She caught the hand holding her wand in a furious grip and brought it down to her mouth. Her teeth sank into his wrist with satisfying results. Draco howled in rage and her wand flew from his grasp. 

Only to land with a sizzling plop in the fry pot. 

With a strangled cry, Ginny lunged forward, her hand instinctively reaching out. 

Draco caught her in a hard embrace. " Have you lost all reason?" He yelled. 

Ginny struggles increased as she kicked back hard against his naked shins, her nails gouging into his sweating arms. Grunting against the pain, Draco wrestled with the thrashing female until he managed to force her face down upon the counter, his chest pressed into her heaving back. Her hands were as slippery and dangerous as snakes as he fought to bring them from under her body and pin them behind her bucking hips. At last, he had her captured, imprisoned beneath him. Under his cheek, Draco heard her labored breathing and the rapid pace of her heart. The copper tangle of her hair stuck to the sweat on Draco's face and lips, causing him to puff and spit at the clinging strands. 

" Get off me!" Ginny growled and Draco had to chuckle at her tenacity. 

" I don't know, Ginny-girl. I am actually quite comfortable." 

" You bastard!" She attempted to rear up, but his superior weight kept her pinned. 

" I could lay like this all day." Draco spoke teasingly, but in truth, their position brought to mind several delightful pictures. He wiggled his pelvis and heard the woman beneath him gasp. Too late, he remembered her trauma and regretted his action. Easing up on his weight, Draco inquired, " If I let you up, will you promise to behave?" 

Ginny was silent for a long moment, then responded in a muffled voice. " Only if you will." 

" Look, as a show of my good will, I will retrieve your french fried wand." 

Ginny thought for a moment and then Draco felt her shrug. " 'K." 

" On three then. One, two." On three, he leaped clear as Ginny whirled, glaring at him through the tangle of her hair. 

Holding up a placating hand, Draco spoke. " I am now going to rescue you wand from it's fiery bath. Where should I place it?" 

Scraping her face free of hair, Ginny pointed. " The dishwater, I suppose. It will be wicked hot." 

Draco nodded. " Right then." And pointing his wand towards the popping grease, said, " _Wingardium Leviosa _" Ginny's wand rose slowly into the air, sizzling, hot oil gliding along its length. Draco guided the piece towards the sink and released the spell. The wand vanished below the suds. 

" Think the heat will have damaged it any?" Ginny asked in a horrified whisper. 

" It is a Ollivander piece?" The blond wizard inquired. 

Ginny nodded, her eyes still on the bubbles. 

" Well, he is known for making superb wands." Draco responded conversationally. He ran a tooth marked hand through his hair and glanced at his companion questionably. " Do you think you should give it a go. You know, see if it is ok?" 

Ginny shot him a sideways glare. "You're not afraid I will hex your balls into the shake blender?" 

Draco shuddered, but grinned. "You promised to behave. I hold you to that promise." 

" Damn fool!" The witch muttered and reached into the water. She fished about for a second then pulled the dripping wand into view. Turning on the tap, Ginny rinsed the wood and then dried it on the tail of her shirt. She eyed the gleaming rod carefully, then peered at Malfoy with verdigris caution. 

"Looks all right." 

" Well," the wizard responded coolly. " Have a go at it. Something simple, just in case." He advised. 

Ginny pointed the wand at a soaking fry basket. "_ Wingardium Leviosa! _" The basket obediently rose into the air. Ginny sagged in relief. 

Then whirled with her wand leading, pinning Draco between the eyes with the still warm tip. " How DARE you attack me like that, you... you... MALFOY, you!" Ginny hissed. 

Draco's eyes crossed as he glared down the umber rod at the twin barrels of green fire perched over a ridge of freckles. 

" You promised!" He snarled, raising his palms in surrender. 

" I haven't done anything." Ginny replied. " Yet." She studied the handsome wizard on the end of her wand. " Why won't you just leave me alone, Draco? Please. Do you know how much trouble you caused for me last night? My folks actually called in the Ministry, for crying out loud!" 

Draco slid his silver eyes shut and sighed heavily. "Look, Weasley. Can we discuss this without wands?" 

Slowly Ginny lowered her arm, ready to leap back into the defense if Draco showed the slightest sigh of attacking. Their eyes locked, one on the other, they each placed their wands upon the counter, fingers hovering for a brief second before pulling away. 

" Can you do me one small favor?" Draco asked. 

" Depends." Ginny evaded. 

" Would you give a few good screams?" Draco jerked his platinum head to the door. " Crabbe and Goyle are outside, and you know..." 

"Oh, yea, sure." She agreed. Getting a lung full of air, Ginny roared as Draco slapped his hands on the metal door of the ice bin. 

" That's right, wench!" Draco called above the scream. " Take me all the way!" 

There were appreciative cheers from behind the door and Ginny cocked a brow at Draco. "Wench?" She growled. 

He merely shrugged, his grin making her heart do funny things within the cage of her ribs. 

"Look, Ginny-girl," Draco began, ignoring her sudden frown. " I am sorry about last night. How was I to know you would collapse into a gibbering heap when I tried to talk to you? And that is all I had in mind, Ginny. Just talking." 

When the woman remained silent, he continued. " I couldn't leave you sitting in the alley like that. I had no other choice, but to take you home with me. I was concerned for you." 

Ginny looked down at her sandled feet, crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive posture. "What did you want to talk about?" 

Feeling more confident, Draco erased some of the distance between them, closer, yet not touching.   
" Nothing important. Everything important." He traced a line down her arm with one finger. "I was telling the truth last night, Ginny. I have been sentenced to a living death. I wanted to spend my last days of freedom with someone I think of as special." 

That brought her eyes up from their study of her footwear. Her brow puckered in vexation. " Don't have me on, Malfoy. The only 'special' person in this trailer is you." 

"Why are you so damned defensive?" Draco asked, leaning closer. " What is so hard about believing that I find you alluring, interesting. Why should I not want to spend a bit of time with you?" 

Ginny poked a slender finger into his chest. "Because I'm a Weasley and you're a Malfoy!" 

Draco rubbed his eyes with one hand before pinching the bridge of his nose. " I know. I have been telling myself the same thing for years, yet I remained unconvinced. Would you mind yelling again?" 

Ginny complied with his request. " Get off me you Slytherin bastard!" She was rewarded with hoots and whistles. 

"Thank you." 

" 'Welcome. So..." 

"Yes," Draco replied. "So..." 

" If I accept your apology, will you go away?" Ginny asked in a small voice. 

"Will you go out with me? Tonight?" 

"No!" 

"Ginny-girl, I promise I..." 

_SLAP!___

"I told you not to call me that!" 

His cheek burned from her blow and Draco backed away in defeat. Picking up his wand, he thrust the piece into his back pocket. He let his gaze rest on her for a long moment, drinking in the sight of her tiny face with its big green eyes, the whirl of red hair spinning out from the band she had used to subdue the mass, the way her small round breast heaved under the ugly, stained shirt that looked so beautiful on her. With a nod, he turned to go. Then he spied the coins he had placed on the counter earlier. He glanced back at Ginny. 

"I paid for a soda." When she made no move, he carried on. " No worry, I can get it myself." 

Reaching across the narrow span, Draco snatched a large Styrofoam cup from the holder. Throwing open the ice bin, he packed the container with the shimmering crystals before reaching into the small fridge for the squeeze bottle of cherry flavoring. Wrapping his long fingers around the plastic, he directed a long stream of red juice into the ice, all the while feeling Ginny's gaze following his every move. He gave himself an extra shot of flavoring because he liked it oh, so much and returned the bottle to the cooler. He turned and strode to the soda dispenser, his forehead wrinkled in mock deliberation. Pushing the cup below the appropriate nozzle, Draco pressed the lever, releasing a hissing spill of caramel and carbonized water. With military precision, Draco wheeled to the condiment rack. He snapped the lid from the cherry bin and flashing Ginny a roguish grin, plucked up one of the dripping, ruby fruits, dropping into the cup with a flourish of his wrist. 

"You've been paying attention." Ginny complimented him. 

Draco shrugged. "It was always part of the treat. Watching you. My god, I love these things." Tipping the cup, he took a long pull. Ginny watched his adam's apple bobbing in the tanned column of his throat. Some of the soda spilled from the sides of the upturned cup and trickled down to darken the material of the sleeveless T he wore. Suddenly, her mouth felt very dry. 

The ice sloshed loudly as Draco lowered the cup, finding Ginny gazing at him with a rapt expression. Reaching into the container, Draco retrieved the cherry, holding it by its scarlet stem. Keeping jealous possession of the red haired witch's eyes, Draco slowly approached, the dripping fruit dangling from his fingers. 

"Open your mouth, Ginny." He whispered when his toes made contact with her own. He was so close, he could see how his breath ruffled the wisps of hair near her ear. He felt a slight tremble on the air between their bodies, but he pressed his luck and leaned in closer. "Open you lips." 

Without blinking, Ginny slowly obeyed. She was mesmerized by his stare. It was like looking at twin stars. His breath on her cheek was hot and she could smell the healthy sweat on his skin. A small place deep in her belly squeezed around itself, and Ginny quivered with the sensation. She felt the icy skin of the suspended cherry against her lips and she gently sucked the fruit, flicking at it with the tip of her tongue. 

Draco moaned, "Take it between your teeth. Yes, like that. Now, hold it." 

Ginny felt a sharp tug as Draco pulled the stem free, leaving the cherry clamped between her white teeth. Their breaths were coming in short pants as Draco moved closer, amazed when Ginny brought her hands up to fluttered gently at his waist line. Their eyes held on to one another as he whispered once more, "Bite." 

Her teeth pierced the tight, red skin, sending juice spilling over her lips and down her chin. Her eye lids drooped as Draco breathed her name, "Ginny!" before claiming his half of the severed fruit. Pushing it to the back of his mouth, Draco grazed Ginny's sweet lips with his own, ready to spring away should she attempt to bolt. She swayed against him and he placed his hands on the counter behind her hips. Ginny's fingers trembled as she allowed them to finally touch the hard muscles overlaying Draco's ribs and she sighed against his mouth. 

Draco kept the kiss light, tender. Now that he had her in his embrace, he dared risk nothing that would cause her to flee. "Ginny." He murmured along her lips. "So sweet. I knew you would be. You just had to be. My sweet Ginny." 

Her hands pressed more firmly against his sides and curled around to his back, fingers spreading wide to increase the points of contact. Carefully, Draco let her pull him closer, until their breasts were touching. His lips danced over her chin and along her jaw to place a kiss on the delicate shell of her ear. " Ginny." He sighed over and over along her skin. She moaned and Draco could not hold back a smile as he returned to her mouth, sucking her lower lip tenderly. 

Cautiously wrapping his arms around her in a loose hug, Draco put his lips against her gleaming forehead. "I will never, ever hurt you, Ginny." He sealed his pledge with another kiss. "I promise you that." 

Ginny let her head fall to his chest, hardly believing that she was being held, kissed by Draco Malfoy. She, who for years had spurned even the touch of her own mother, was hanging on to the tall Slytherin as if he were a life preserver in rough seas. 

And it felt right. 

It felt so right. 

So it was nearly painful when Draco disengaged himself from her arms and backed away. Looking into her eyes, he whispered sharply. " I mean it. I will never, ever hurt you." He swallowed hard. "And if you will let me, I will hunt down the son of a bitch that did and I would kill him just for you. I will put the bastard at your feet and kill him. Just for you." 

Picking up his cup, he shook the contents before finishing the drink off. He tossed the cup into the dust bin and moved over to the door where he paused. Without looking back he hissed, "Take care of your self, Weasley. And don't pay any attention to anything you hear me say to those two jackals." With a snick of the lock, he was gone, leaving Ginny to stand panting, her arms wrapped tight about her middle. 

"So, Draco, man, how'd it go? Did you give it to her?" Goyle asked with a leer. 

The blonde gloated. 

"Way to go, Draco!" Crabbe cheered with a laugh. "Was it good?" 

Draco shot him a disbelieving glare. "Are you stupid or what. She is a red head." 

"Yea, right." 

"It sure would be nice to have some of _that_ sitting on the side for Pansy's off night, you know what I mean, fellas?" Draco replied with a smirk, arching back and scratching at his belly in a satisfied manner. "I have worked up a sizable appetite. What say I treat us all to some supper?" Without waiting for an answer, Draco sauntered off along the beach. The two burly wizards stared at his retreating form and then at one another. 

"Did you hear that?" Goyle asked. 

"Sure, Draco's popping for supper." 

"Not that part, you arse-hole! The part about having Weasley on the side?" He rocked his single brow. "I think I know what we can get Draco for a wedding present. And it ain't gonna cost us a knut." 

"Oh man!" Crabbe chortled. "This is great." 

"Yea, but we're gonna need some help. Let's go see Draco's old man. He's always up for some good fun. And besides, he's always hated the Weasleys." 

Grinning cruelly, they followed Draco across the sand.   


I know, it has been a loooooooooooooooong time in coming, but hopefully, it was worth the wait. I promise that I won't make you wait so long next time. 

Please feed my need and tell me what you think. 

gotsnape   
  
  
  
  
__   
__   
__   



	4. The Fat in the Fire

**Chapter 4- Fat in the Fire**

**Hers, not mine. Yea, yea, yea. I am broke. She is stinking rich. Why would she sue me? Surely wouldn't be 'cause she wants my Blazer. By the way, I finally DID get the cracked windshield fixed.**

Ginny reopened the cantina shortly after Draco's departure. Hanging a bright countenance upon her freckled face like an open for business sign, she had greeted each customer with a smile, while her self-respect paced up and down the paths of her brain, chewing its nails.

Draco Malfoy had kissed her!

And she, Ginny Weasley, had allowed it to happen.

No, not just allowed. She had _participated! _The heat from the fry baskets lent its excuse for the rising blush on her cheeks as Ginny recalled the firm muscle of Draco's back under her questing hands and the way his hair had clung to the sweat damp slope of his bare shoulders. She had been shaking with fearful desire when he wrapped strong arms lightly around her body. Even now, Ginny could smell him on her skin.

She, who had not allowed a male near her since her first year at Hogwarts, had accepted, no, had _sought_, the touch of her family's deepest enemy!

And yet, he had felt so good.

'Ginny, you silly chit', an irritated mental voice snapped. 'Sneaky Snake is up to something and he thinks to drag you along for the ride! In five days time', Ginny's inner Molly continued, 'he will be married to Pansy Parkinson. The prick is merely looking for a final fling before she slaps on the ol' ball and chain.'

Ginny sighed angrily, telling the harping voice to sod off.

The feel of Draco's kiss, sticky with soda and cherry juice, lingered yet on her body. She had moved several times to clean the residue from around her mouth and along the path his lips had taken to her ear, but could not bring herself to remove the evidence of the wizard's touch. It would be all she would ever possess of Draco Malfoy. The memory of those lips, the way they had brushed like soft flames over her skin, the words they had formed, caused her to tremble with unnamable emotions.

_I will never hurt you, Ginny._

Well, can't hurt what you aren't allowed to touch, Ginny insisted silently, shaking seasoning salt over a basket of fish and chips before passing it over to a waiting customer.

_If you let me, I will hunt down the son of a bitch that did, and I will kill him- just for you._

Oh Draco, Ginny sighed. If only that were true!

But while looking into his moon-blue eyes, Ginny had found herself believing him.

Slinging a crumb-laden rag into the now tepid wash water, the young witch snorted at her own foolishness. Believe in the word of a Malfoy? That path led to certain destruction. Why couldn't he just stay the same conniving, hex hurler she remembered from school? Why did he have to show up here of all places, looking like the male lead in a wet dream, with his deeply tanned body and platinum hair, his words tender and his lips...

Oh ye gods, those lips!

Ginny smiled, recalling that same mouth hissing out curses as she would try to slip past him and his cronies on her way to class. The hexing had started in her fifth year. For some strange reason, Malfoy had left off his plaguing of Harry Potter and set his sights upon the youngest of the Weasley clan. At first, the curses had embarrassed and frightened Ginny, but one day, she had noted the gleaming invitation to play shining behind Malfoy's silver gaze and she had tossed caution and decorum to the four winds. For too long, she had hidden away from her peers, preferring to be alone, standing along the fringe of the school's social warp and weave. Now, at last, was an opportunity for fun without the risk of a relationship. She could hex the slimy dungeon spawn to her heart's content. She was a Weasley, he was a Malfoy. They were enemies and therefore expected to fight.

Right?

Malfoy hunting had quickly become Ginny's favorite pastime and she entered into the sport with fierce enthusiasm. By unspoken agreement, the pair never threw hexes that brought about pain or humiliation, though the two hours she had skulked about with peacock feathers dragging along beneath her school robes had been pretty unpleasant, Ginny recalled. She had repaid Draco with a powerful Repunzel spell. Madam Pomfrey had been forced to suspend the howling Slytherin by the ever-lengthening rope of blond nose hair flowing from his nostrils, cutting him free with silver shears, before the spell could be broken. Ginny had stood in the infirmary door, doubled over with laughter at the time, hardly caring about the week's detention she had collected with Filch for her crime. The sight of Malfoy dangling from his own nose hair was one of her most precious memories.

Then the arrogant git had to go and ruin it all by showing up here!

The remainder of the afternoon bled with agonizing reluctance into early evening and she slumped in relief as the day breathed its last. Despite her fears, Draco had not returned to the cantina, and as she bagged up the last of the trash, Ginny stomped down firmly upon a fluttering scrap of disappointment. "He has his own life to ruin without getting tangled up in mine." The witch reminded herself sternly. Picking up the sack containing the day's receipts, Ginny swept her verdigris eyes over the tiny stainless steel chamber. Everything was in readiness for the following day's business; condiment bottles stocked, cup, lid and straw bins were all filled. The rectangular metal containers for nuts and toppings were neatly covered and the counters had been scoured to a high gleam. There was no chore left undone. Even the floor sparkled from the extra mopping the witch had lavished upon its normally hazy surface. No reason to hang around.

Nope, not one.

A weight pulling at her chest, Ginny exited the cantina, her normal precautions ignored as her mind continued to dwell on the confusing encounter with Draco. After checking the lock, she crossed the shell covered picnic area, and swinging her arm in a graceful arch, deposited the black garbage bag into the open rubbish bin.

"_Accio wand."_

Ginny barely heard the summoning spell over the roar of the surf, but felt the tearing as her wand was snatched from the back pocket of her cut-offs. With a snarl, she whirled, placing her back against the still warm metal of the bin, knees slightly bent, her fists pulled tight against her chest. The moneybag fell unnoticed at her feet. Crabbe and Goyle blocked her view of the road, both wizards wearing identical idiotic smirks.

"Hey, Weasley." Gregory Goyle attempted a bored drawl as the pair slid closer. Now the streetlights shone behind the menacing figures, casting them as black silhouettes.

Ginny held her silence, her eyes darting between the two hulking males and the possible safety to be found in the lengthening shadows of the nearby buildings. From the shore, the muted conversation and laughter from late strollers floated like driftwood, bobbing over the rumble of the waves. Since they were most likely Muggles, no rescue could be expected from that direction.

"Been thinking about how hard you've been working lately, Weasley." Goyle grinned evilly. "Thought you would appreciate a little fun and games, so we are inviting you to a party."

"I'm not interested." Ginny managed to croak through the pressure building in her chest. Her body coiling tightly, she struggled against the rip tide of fear that threatened to sweep her away. Already the flashing of black stars was obscuring her vision while the blood thundered in her ears.

"Oh, but we insist!" Vincent Crabbe laughed, stepping closer. "Don't we, Gregory?"

"Yes!" Goyle agreed, and then cut his eyes narrowly towards his partner. "Say, Vincent, do you think she is a true red-head?"

An even more confused look replaced the one Crabbe normally wore. "Well, all them Weasley's are carrot-tops, so I guess..." The impatient cuff Goyle laid to the back of his large head cut off his words.

"No, you stupid wanker! I'm suggesting that we check it out for ourselves."

"Oh, yea." A dangerous leer grew over both their faces as the wizards fixed their glittering eyes on the trembling witch. "Nothing says we can't have a bit of fun before the party starts."

Goyle reached out one beefy hand, grasping Ginny by the upper arm. Ignoring the blank expression on her face, he jerked her to him. Running his tongue coarsely over her face he grunted, "You taste like old grease. We'll be sure to give you a good wash up before the party."

The bubble of panic that had been rising in Ginny reached the surface. The resulting explosion washed over her and with a scream of rage and fear, she attacked. Her nails raked deep furrows along Goyle's cheek while her knee slammed into his groin with enough force to send him crashing to the ground. In her madness, Ginny did not seek to flee, but threw herself upon her downed victim in a hail of fists and snapping teeth.

Vincent, stunned, hesitated a second before wading into the fray. Snatching the screeching witch up by the hair, he hauled her from the groaning Goyle only to have the girl spin and climb him like a cat, biting, clawing and spitting her way up his considerable height. Stumbling backwards, Gregory toppled heavily to the ground, Ginny's knees blasting into his chest as she scrambled over his prone form.

Over the sounds of fighting came a cold, mirthless laugh.

"Boys. Boys." Lucius Malfoy intoned icily, stepping into the mellow golden light of the street lamp. "What would your parents say if they saw you brawling in the dirt like common Muggle thugs?" He curled his patrician lip disdainfully as he pulled his wand from his sleeve.

"_Expelliarmus!" _

The spell lifted Ginny from the rapidly failing wizard beneath her, and hurled the witch over the graveled lot. She skidded to a halt against the bin, her skull impacting the metal with a dull clang. The violence of the blow shocked the madness that rampaged in her body, bringing it to a stunned halt. With a gagging groan, she attempted to push herself upright, her hands digging into the dirt and gravel where she lay. The sound of approaching footsteps pulled Ginny's attention from the throbbing pain at the base of her skull and she drew in a juddering breath as she prepared to renew the fight. With a snarl, the witch surged to her feet, double handfuls of soil and stone flying out as her vanguard. Hard fingers clamped themselves about her throat, impeding her attack. Ginny squeaked as the last bit of air escaped past her lips while her fingers plucked in futile desperation at the crushing pressure at her windpipe.

"You marked me, girl." A menacing voice purred with deceptive calm. " I shall be sure to note it in my ledger. Just one more debt you shall cancel out with your body."

Beneath her oxygen deprived panic. Ginny's consciousness recoiled in stark horror as the speaker's voice gained recognition. She raised clouding eyes to the perfect features before her. On one high cheek, a thin line of blood was creeping slowly down his skin.

Lucius Malfoy smiled. It was a startling beautiful display made chilling by the absence of humanity in his silver blue eyes. He cocked his elegant head to one side, observing Ginny's struggles with a terrifyingly childlike curiosity. The witch's mouth repeatedly opened and closed as her body instinctively fought to bring oxygen into her lungs. Malfoy mimicked her desperate actions, his lips popping and his eyes wide, as he made guppy-like faces at the failing girl. Releasing a deep laugh, Lucius slammed Ginny's head sharply against the bin, tossing her to the ground like refuse as her eyes rolled back into her head.

He spun, whipping his lightweight summer cloak about his tall frame. He glared with disgust at Crabbe and Goyle as they struggled to their feet. "And to think you dare name yourselves wizard!" He spat. The two managed to look sufficiently cowed and Lucius smiled meanly. "Well lads, we have your gift. Wrap her up. We are taking her home."

Gregory and Vincent scrambled to obey and soon the only sounds were those of the waves.

Still in the process of fastening the shoulder clasp of his formal evening robes, Draco apparated along the cusp of gold cast by the lone street lamp. He began striding the moment his feet touched down amid a crunch of shell and gravel. The wizard had been hexing himself for the better part of the past hour, following Goyle's boasting reminder of the evening's long scheduled event.

Gregory had every reason to brag and posture, for his family had been blessed beyond their dreams with the singular honor of hosting THE bachelor party of the decade. Tonight, the pinnacle of Pureblood male society would usher into their ranks, the Crown Prince of House Malfoy. After this evening, Draco Malfoy would take upon himself the suffocating mantle of "The Untouchable".

The date had completely slipped from Draco's mind. Firstly, the event was merely one more spade full of dirt being chucked into the grave that was his future and therefore, was best left unanticipated. Secondly, the larger part of his brain had been, of late, actively involved in gaining the attentions of one, Ginny Weasley, and maneuvering around her aggressive defenses in the hope of scoring positive points with the lovely witch.

Which is why he was now striding over this lonely strip of beach towards the metal cantina that was shining blue and black in the moonlight. The frustrated wizard had frittered away his afternoon in the company of Crabbe and Gloyle, who had greatly lightened Draco's purse with their voracious appetites. He had thought to make his escape immediately following the second round of deserts, only to find himself captured by a glowing, gushing Pansy, who had wasted no time, once quitting Madame Boule's, in tracking down her intended to display what galleons paired with hours of intensive soaking, tucking, painting and sucking could accomplish. By the time he had wrestled himself free of her whining, clinging person the evening was upon him. With barely enough time to change into his elegant dinner robes, Draco had magicked himself to Fortesque's establishment in the hopes of catching Ginny Weasley before she closed the shop for the night. He was expected at the Goyle mansion within the hour, and he desired to use the time allowed him to persuade the red haired witch of his sincerity.

Draco's heart sank, as he took in the dark quiet of the closed shop. The slatted metal security shield had been lowered and no light glowed from between the cracks, telling him that Ginny had already departed.

"Damn!" He snarled. "Bloody shit and damn!" Balling his fist, Draco smashed the hard skin of the trailer, leaving a dent. Sucking his throbbing knuckles, he stomped around to the side holding the exit door and threw himself down upon the stoop with a huff. Stonewalled and realizing the impossibility of simply dropping by the Weasley home, Draco sighed, laying his blond head against the door, allowing his hands to dangle limply between his bent knees. Why was he even here, the wizard demanded of himself. The witch had made it very clear when she stated that she wanted nothing to do with him. However, the tender glow he had spotted in her eyes and the trembling way she had clung to him earlier in the day belied her words. Could there be some spark of affection, desire, kindling within the youngest Weasley? For the briefest of seconds, he had toyed with the notion of taking Ginny as his mistress, but he knew he could never live with himself after degrading her in such a sordid manner. She deserved better. Hell, he would be a fool for even bringing the idea up for the woman's consideration. Ginny would hex him into St. Mungo's for his gall.

Yet, Draco had wanted to see her at least one more time before...

Pushing himself to his feet, Draco shook the sand from his cloak and the disappointment from his heart. Pulling his wand free, he cast he eyes over the parking lot for anyone who might observe his use of magic and spotted something laying a few yards from where he stood. His heart gave a lurch as he recognized the object. It was one of Ginny Weasley's pink and green sandals. He approached the lone piece of footwear and bending, picked it up. The slender ankle strap was broken off at the buckle and it hung limply in his hand. Falling back on his investigative training under the tutelage of Hogwart's resident spy, Draco scanned the ground, noting the churned stones and the gouges in the damp sand. It appeared as if a struggle had taken place. Draco's heart pounded harder when he found the bag containing the receipts from the cantina lying beside the scarred rubbish bin. Raising his wand, he whispered, "Lumos". The wand tip glowed brightly, allowing the wizard to easily see the blood that stained the metal surface. Stuck to the congealing spot were several long, red hairs. Draco touched the blood with the tip of his index finger, the liquid easily transferring to his skin. Still fresh! Only moments old, his brain screamed. If he had arrived sooner, he could have saved her from her attacker! Where was she now? What was being done to the woman? After spending several moments longer searching fruitlessly for any evidence that would identify the culprit, Draco realized he would need the aid of one with greater experience.

With a growl, he doused the light of his wand.

The sound of his disapparation rolled like thunder over the sands.

**And now, you are asking yourselves, "We waited five months for THIS??!" Please be forgiving. I have a busy life. I just don't understand how some of you excellent writers can put out every week. I USED to be able to do that, but for some reason, I have lost the skill. Bear with me. I shall not leave you in the lurch.**

**For everyone who reviewed, emailed, or Imed, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your words of praise and encouragement. You will never know the tears of guilt I have shed over your devotion to this little story of lust and intrigue. You all have been steadfast and loyal. I don't deserve you.**

**Big thanks go to Zee for her last moment beta work. She has enough on her plate as is, but yet she is ready to check me for lint or toe jam. **

**Love you all,**

**gotsnape**


	5. Puss in the Corner

Sunshine and Shadows Chapter 5- Puss in the Corner 

**And YES, I am alluding to a certain THING. It is crude, I know, but it works for this chapter, easily describing Ginny's situation while at the same time, to a sense of home, comfort and safety. Both of these instances occur in chapter 5. This story is getting ready to earn its rating, so if graphic stuff bothers you, please accept this invitation to move on to something else. I do not write this to offend, merely to get rid of the ding-dang bunny that has been thumping in my noggie for over a year.**

**After much thought and frustration over WHY the next chapter was not coming along, I discovered that I needed to flesh out chapter 5, lay a bit of ground work. So, after a few restless nights and 4 hours of mowing the lawn (some of my bestest ideas come to me during my gardening) I give to you the new, and hopefully better, chapter 5. Felt like I needed to up the fear factor a bit plus plug a few holes that have been giving me fits. Please tell me what you think.**

**Standard disclaimer: Ahem! Hers. No sue-ie.**

Ginny struggled to contain her tremors as blasts of shame and fear rocketed through her slender form. Despite the whispered promises of the cringing house elf, the cloying potion she had finally accepted had done little to alleviate her current dread. The presence of Lucius Malfoy, his hooded eyes burning her skin like dry ice, assured the witch that nothing short of death would separate her from the state of near panic that enclosed her. Not even the leering faces of Crabbe and Goyle jarred her as much as the blank calm of the senior wizard. She could feel his gaze moving over her scantily clad body as a house elf tenderly adjusted the sorry excuse for a garment. The two younger males nudged one another and voiced lewd comments while their hot eyes roved over her form. The sheer cloth covered her from clavicle to calf like a pale fog. Barely more than two panels of white gauze, the veils fell from her shoulders in soft folds where it was gathered by a simple belt of hammered gold, leaving her body uncovered at the sides. Ginny shivered from the cold as the movements of the house elves stirred the air around her. From where he sat, sipping from a crystal goblet, Malfoy's lips curled in a dangerous smile.

Squeezing her eyes tightly, Ginny attempted to erase the past hours from her mind.

Upon regaining consciousness, Ginny had found herself lying upon the cold damp of a dungeon floor. She had barely raised her throbbing head from its stony pillow when the chamber door opened, permitting several groveling house elves to enter. They approached the battered young witch, their bulging eyes wet with tears of pity.

" I is being Crapper, young miss." Whispered one of the creatures, moving closer to Ginny and tenderly lifting the matted hair from the girl's cheeks. " We is being sent by Young Master Goyle to assists you's in your toilette."

Whimpering, Ginny recoiled from the gentle touch, her eyes darting over the worried faces of the elves to take in the bleak, windowless walls of her cell. " No!" she whispered brokenly. " No, no, no!" She collapsed once more to the stones, her desperate words shattering into sobs.

Crapper crouched by the keening witch's head as the remaining elves drew closer, their expressions drawn tight with grief.

"Hush, miss. Hush." Crapper murmured. " I is bringing you's a special potion. Ease the fright, it will. Keep the very bad feelings away."

Ginny raised her red, swollen eyes and pleaded, " Please, please help me!" She clutched the elf's hand even as the creature shook her head in mournful refusal. " Please, give me a poison, anything, let me die! Don't let them take me. Please…"

" Oh miss, you is knowing we's house elves is not able to refuse the Masters. But even if we's could, still Crapper would not kill you." The elf pulled Ginny's head into her bony lap. " You is a good, strong witch! We's can feel it. You is going to survive this. You is not going to let them what is bad break you's!"

Shivering sobs rattled through Ginny as she tried to curl fully into the elf's embrace. In sympathy, the other elves leaned closer, stroking and petting their weeping charge.

Crapper allowed Ginny to cry for a moment longer and then addressed the witch in a gentle but commanding voice. " Now miss must has her wits about hers. Best you is drinking Crapper's potion. Will help miss think clearly." So saying, Crapper gripped Ginny's hand and placed a small vial within her fingers.

Sniffing, Ginny eyed the bottle. " What is this?"

Crapper stood, brushing the stone dust from the shabby hand towel she wore tied about her shoulders. " It is being a simple calming drought, miss. Master is telling Crapper you is over excited about the party. I is good at brewing, miss. Never gives you's anything to makes you stupid." The elf nudged the witch's hand upwards. " Drinks. It will gives you peace. Calm, to thinks clearly. Strengthens the memory, it will." Crapper's green eyes slid around the chamber, peering into the shadowy corners before returning to Ginny with a cunning gleam. "Helps you's to be remembering things. Faces. Names. Not even _Obliviate _will take the memories away. Hunts them down, you will. Makes them pay."

Sitting back on her haunches, Ginny pried the stopper from the vial and tipped the contents into her mouth. Her face twisted and she gagged on the disgustingly sweet taste, causing the majority of the liquid to spill down the front of her shirt. The remaining potion slid down her throat, thick and heavy, as if she were attempting to swallow a worm, before finally pooling in her stomach. She immediately felt its effects as her mind shunted her fears to the side. They were not canceled out, merely relegated to a corner of her brain, where they continued to snap and gnaw, leaving the larger portion of her mind clear.

Crapper nodded briskly. "Now, we is to get you's cleaned up." With a snap of her twig like fingers, a large copper tub appeared, filled to the brim with steaming water.

While the elves removed her soiled clothes and helped her into the bath, Ginny's mind raced back over the events that had brought her to this hellish place. There had been the attack by Crabbe and Goyle and then a blank void that ended with Lucius Malfoy's demonically beautiful face marred by a trickle of blood. Draco's father had brought her here? For what purpose? Had he found out about his son's interest in her? Did Lucius doubt Draco's familial devotion to the point where Ginny's removal was viewed as necessary? Then why not simply kill her where he found her, leaving her body to be discovered by beach strollers or the local constable?

Crabbe and Goyle had mentioned something about a party?

Her mind continued on in this manner as the elves busied themselves with their duty. The questions she fired at the elves concerning her location, the reasons for her capture went unanswered and after a while, Ginny fell silent. Her hair was scrubbed and rinsed before an herbal conditioner was applied. Allowing the conditioner to set, the elves bid Ginny stand while they shaved and exfoliated her entire body. Her cheeks burning with shame, the witch endured their ministrations then sank back into the water for a final dousing.

It was as she was stepping from the tub into the warmth of a fluffy terry cloth towel that Lucius entered the chamber unannounced, Crabbe and Goyle at his heels like trained dogs. Ginny gasped in outrage, pulling the towel firmly about her dripping body, but Lucius only arched one silver brow at her modesty and with a wave of his wand, summoned three gorgeously appointed winged-back chairs. Seating himself, the wizard snapped his fingers and was instantly attended by a new house elf bearing a tray with a single goblet filled with wine so deep a shade of red as to resembled blood. The younger wizards plopped down in the remaining chairs, calling for firewhiskey.

The elves crouched around Ginny's bare feet, their faces averted from the terrifying wizard and his companions. " Continue!" Lucius commanded, causing the witch to jump and the house elves to leap back to their task. During the next hour, Ginny kept her brown eyes fixed on the floor. She tried forcing her mind to other climes, places where she could hide from the study of her captors. Yet, the potion she had taken brought her back, time and time again, to her current imprisonment.

Crapper and her assistants had patted the wetness from Ginny's skin before applying scented oils. She stood naked in the torchlight, her flesh gleaming like polished marble, as the elves levitated themselves to tend to her copper tresses. Makeup was applied to her face and a collar of gleaming gold was attached about the fluted column of her neck. The cuff bore a heavy metal ring, and the young woman could easily guess as to its purpose. The nails of her fingers and toes had been painted in bright red, while the same hue was applied to her lips, leaving her mouth feeling heavy and slick. The entire operation was completed in silence except for the occasional wolf whistle or growl from Crabbe and Goyle.

Finally, the opaque veil was draped over her shoulders and the belt fastened about her narrow waist. The house elves kept their eyes down cast as they gathered their tools and disappeared with a small _pop_.

The only sounds in the chamber at present were the crackling of the torches and Ginny's agitated breathing. The fears that had been, for the most part, silent, now set to howling in her brain as the house elves vanished, leaving her alone with the wizards.

Lucius let the silence stretch out until it became thin and brittle. Concealing a wolf-like grin behind the rim of his goblet, the wizard's gaze roamed at leisure over the lovely image before him. He could smell her fear beneath the layers of subtle perfume lavished over her flesh by the attentive house elves. He would have to complement the elder Goyle upon his skill at selecting such resourceful slaves. The torchlight danced over the girl's hair, lending the flaming locks and even brighter glow. He hungered to fist his fingers into that spill of molten silk, but restrained himself. Delayed gratification was, in itself, a potent aphrodisiac. Lucius fully intended to satisfy himself with the Weasley chit, but he was ever the doting father, and for now, Draco's desires must come first.

For now.

Banishing the now empty goblet, he rose with unnatural grace for a man of his stature, gesturing at the to youths remain seated. Like mercury, gleaming and deadly, he flowed over the stones until he stood just inches from the bowed red head. Clasping his long fingered hands behind his back, Lucius strolled slowly around the girl, enjoying the pulses of hatred and dread that wafted from her body. He could almost see the ripples of emotions bending the air about her, like heat waves. He paused to admire her tight butt as it lifted the garment she wore with an enticing swell, the cleft between her pert cheeks, a slender shadow. Lucius leaned closer, his nostrils flaring as he drew in deeply of her scent, the combined smells of fear, shame, herbs and heated female flesh, bringing a delicious tightening to his loins. Without taking a step, Ginny pulled away, her skin crawling from his nearness, and heard a mirthless chuckle near her ear. From where they sat, Vincent and Gregory hooted in glee.

Lucius continued his inspection, running a finger lightly down her bare shoulder to her wrist, where the digit made the leap to the naked curve of her thigh. He felt her shudder and through the spill of hair that covered her face, he saw her he tightly clenched lips quivering with distress.

"My, my." Lucius whispered huskily. "Little Ginny Weasley, all grown up and going to parties." Pinching her chin between his thumb and forefinger, he jerked her face up and around, until her deep amber eyes had no choice but to meet with his own. He studied her for a long moment, noting the creamy skin; it's dusting of freckles giving her an added childish innocence. Her lips were glistening with the red ointment the elves had applied and swollen from her anxious gnawing. Snapping brown eyes glared at him from under the copper arch of her brows and he smiled. Oh, she wanted to fight him! Kill him if she could! He could read it easily in the scorching gaze. Yet there was a delightful splash of fear in her eyes as well, a fear she attempted to conceal behind the hate and rage. Ooo, she was wonderful! What a pity to hand her off to the son, when the sire was much better suited to bending the witch without breaking her too quickly. Once broken, witches were useless, Lucius mused, clinging whores, willing to go down on any wizard who happened to crook a finger. No, Lucius wanted them fighting, screaming, and battling against his greater strength. There was no sweeter victory than one that had been ripped from a woman's unwilling flesh. That was power.

Pulling her closer, Lucius brushed her tight mouth with his lips, letting his tongue dart out to tease the corners. Crabbe and Goyle yelled out encouragements. Watching her from beneath hooded eyes, he drawled, "It is truly amazing that two grotesque plebeians as Arthur and Molly Weasley, managed to produce such a lovely and delicate flower as your self." He released her chin and caressed the back of his fingers down the long line of her throat, pausing to stroke the flesh at her collarbone, before moving down, down, to ride the soft rise of one breast. Cupping the trembling weight, Lucius rolled the firm bud of her nipple with his thumb and watched as a tear crept from her eyes that yet burned with hate.

"Why are you doing this?" Ginny grated out from behind stiff lips.

Lucius feigned surprise at her question. "It is what my son wishes. What sort of father would I be if I refused to grant my only child such a simple request?"

Ginny's heart lay like iron in her breast. "Dra…, Draco sent you to take me?" She stammered.

"Yea!" Goyle replied, toasting her with his glass. "Says he wants you for those times Pansy's on the rag!" Both seated wizards burst out laughing, nearly falling from their chairs in drunken mirth.

Malfoy rolled his eyes in disgust before pulling a heavy silver pocket watch from his robes. "Ah, look at the time. The party will be starting soon and we still must complete the wrapping of your gift, gentlemen."

Goyle assisted his equally inebriated partner to his feet and both wizards staggered forward.

Lucius took out his wand and pointed the shining, black shaft at Ginny, only to stop. "Yes, before I forget." Stepping closer, he grabbed the witch by the head with the hand holding his wand. She was unprepared for the attack when it came. Lucius' fist exploded into her gut, doubling her over as the air was blasted from her lungs. Black stars danced before her eyes and pain radiated out from the point of impact. His fingers still wrapped about her skull, Lucius snatched Ginny erect by her hair. Smiling almost benignly, he noted, "That was for the stone." Turning, he shoved her into the waiting arms of his son's companions and pointed his wand.

"_Stupefy._"

Draco apparated upon a rock jetty, sea spray flying into his face, the wind tugging roughly at his cloak. Behind him, the lights of Bognor Regis were reflected from the low hanging clouds, while before him laid the churning sea. Pocketing his wand, the wizard erased the worried frown from his countenance and in its place, drew an expression of indulged ennui. Confidence radiated from him as he strode quickly towards the end of the jetty where he boldly stepped from the edge.

The magical barrier erected to conceal the Goyle's palatial vacation home from Muggle eyes closed behind Draco and he continued his brisk pace to the brightly lit residence, the sounds of music and raucous male laughter vying with the roar of the waves for dominance.

Strolling among the well heeled, wizarding social elite, Draco alternated between condescending smiles and arctic glares, depending upon the wizard the current shoulder thumping hand was attached to, all the while, surreptitiously scanning the chatting clusters for a particular dark head.

Mr. Parkinson, enjoying the improved civility, prestige, and power granted by his eminent bonding to the Malfoys, smiled with possessive warmth as he observed his soon to be son in law's approach. Ignoring the young wizard's moue of disgust, Parkinson pulled Draco into a burly, back pounding hug.

"Well met, Draco! Well met!" The portly wizard bellowed. "Good to see you at last, my boy." Keeping one arm firmly wrapped about Draco's shoulder, Mr. Parkinson gestured expansively with the other. "I was just complementing Greg on the splendid job he had done arranging this little soirée." He gave Draco a broad wink. "Spared no expense! Nothing too good for the Prince of Malfoy, heh?" Draco concealed a grimace of pain as Pansy's father squeezed his shoulder with Hagrid-like pressure. "No siree! Well, except for my little flower, what? Ah, it's breaking this old father's heart to give her over to you." He concluded with a dramatic sigh.

I can only imagine, Draco mused while he continued to cautiously search for that one, particular presence.

"Come into the house, lad." Mr. Parkinson invited. "The rest of the wedding party has gathered for the private celebrations.

Good thing the ladies weren't invited to this bit of a gathering, heh?" He jerked his balding head to where a group of paid witches, barely clad, were enticing some of the guests into the shadows. Draco leered accordingly. The majority of the guests would amuse themselves upon the lawns, the lush gardens or in one of the many tents erected for their pleasure. The real party would go on inside the mansion. Only members of the immediate family, the males in the groom's service and a few close associates would enjoy the exclusive delights to be found within the walls of the Goyle manor house.

Steering their way through the array of carousing wizards, Draco and Pansy's father soon gained the curved, double stairway leading to tall French doors that stood open wide, the sounds of conversation and genteel music floating out to fade into the rude laughter and talk coming from the lawns. The young wizard schooled his features into bland nonchalance as they crossed the threshold, his smile, once more, that of the well trained Pureblood.

"I have located the groom!" Parkinson bellowed, good-naturedly, causing the thirty or so wizards to cease their pursuits and raise their respective glasses and goblets in the pair's direction. Draco watched as Lucius Malfoy broke away from a group of older wizards and approached. Mr. Parkinson thumped the blond soundly upon the shoulders and took his leave, nodding cheerfully to Malfoy Sr. as they passed. Lucius returned the greeting with a slight nod of his elegant head, his silver eyes never leaving those of his son.

"Draco." Lucius purred, embracing his son. Draco returned the gesture and felt his father pull him tighter to his chest, holding him close for a second longer. When he released his son, Lucius' gaze had thawed slightly and the look he gave his son was one of paternal fondness. "My son." He looked the youth up and down. "You honor me by bearing that title."

Draco dipped his head in false modestly, waiting for the tag line. His lips tugged in a miniscule grin, _One Thames River-Two Thames River-Three Thames..._ ah, right on time!

"And when you wear the mark of our Lord," Lucius continued, his voice sweet and rough as granulated honey. "My joy will be complete."

Plucking a flute of chilled champagne from an obliging tray that hovered close by Draco saluted his sire. "Then you must settle for partial happiness, Father, for I have no intention of joining your battalion of groveling snake worshipers." As Lucius' expression compressed into their more familiar lines of cold stone, Draco continued. "It is only for the love of a once proud and worthy name have I allowed myself to be placed upon this particular altar." He drained his glass and returned it to the tray. "Do not press me. You will not enjoy the results." He nodded his head politely, intending to move away, but Lucius halted him with a painful pressure to his elbow.

Feigning a tender smile, Lucius leaned close, hissing, "Then the Dark Lord will _kill _you!"

"Perhaps he will do it before the wedding and put me out of my misery." Draco quipped, cleanly removing himself from Lucius' grip. "Why don't you go speak to him about it? Tell him how the son of his most trusted refuses to bend a knee to a psychotic Mudblood." When the older wizard remained silent, Draco moved away, joining a group of ex-Slytherin classmates at the bar. Lucius remained standing, his thoughts burning like acid.

Walking through the laughing, drinking crowd, Draco blandly accepted the congratulations and chortled condolences of his former housemates, the entire time studying the room, focusing on the shadows. Decorative banners oozed down the walls, each one covered in pornographic needlework. Draco was no virgin to worldly matters, but the images that writhed and shimmed upon the massive pieces of fabric, caused him to avert his eyes in repugnance. From the ceiling depended four golden trapezes, each bearing a nude and nimble witch. He watched them for an appreciative moment as they flew from one swinging bar to the next, catching each other by the ankles or the wrists. Draco hoped for the witches' sake that Goyle had remembered to charm a net.

Loud yells from deep within a corridor captured his attention, and he followed the sounds, hoping to locate the one he needed to find. As he entered the new chamber, Draco halted.

The Goyle's had indeed gone all out. The huge room had been decorated as a medieval fair, complete with dancing girls and strolling minstrels in period costumes. Pennants snapped in a magical breeze and the smells of roasting pork and fowl filled the air. Draco could see that a buffet had been laid out upon a groaning table. Wizards meandered along the length of the board, grazing on bits of meat, slices of chilled fruits and other delicacies. The ringing of dueling swords filled the air and off to one side, a tilting course had been erected. Draco shook his head disbelievingly as Blaise Zambini thundered down the track on the back of a dun stallion, heading for, what appeared to be a wooden opponent bearing a shield and a mace. Blaise's lance struck the lower outer corner of the shield causing the sylvan enemy to whirl madly, the mace striking the rider across the shoulders. The former Slytherin was blasted from the saddle to land painfully upon the packed dirt, the now riderless horse nickering snidely before trotting away.

A roar exploded from another quarter of the chamber and Draco wheeled on one heel striding in the direction of the din. Several young wizards leaned their elbows upon a low stone wall, cursing and cheering some sort of action below them. As Draco approached, his ears picked up the low, savage growling of dogs and his stomach churned as he imagined the entertainment going on in the pit before him. Shouldering his way between two howling youths, both of them clutching handfuls of gold, he peered into the hole.

Two massive wolfhounds were tangled in a knot of torn skin and blood, the dirt beneath their paws a churned mass of mud and gore, recalling to Draco's mind the scene of Ginny's abduction. The dog's keepers stood at opposite ends of the pit, long corded whips at the ready, should either animal falter in its brutal purpose. The crowd along the wall cheered once more as one canine managed to lock its jaws on the throat of its opponent, twisting the other animal's head down until the creature was forced to its side, where it lay twitching. The burly keepers strode forth brandishing their whips. One of them clubbed the winning dog solidly upon the head, causing it to break its grip, and slipped a heavy chained muzzle over the animal's face. As the lunging brute was dragged away from his victory, the remaining dog was finished off with a casually thrown killing curse.

Draco turned away while trying to mask his disgust and continued his search. He obligingly groped the ripe body of a particularly enthusiastic dancer as she gyrated against him, her veils and heavily kohled eyes enticing him to follow her into a smoky tent. Draco smiled, shaking his head. With a moue of regret, she accepted his gold along with his refusal and proceeded on to a new target.

Moving closer to a long buffet table whose surface was hidden beneath mountains of finger foods, Draco finally spied his goal. Stifling a sigh of relief, he collected a delicate china plate and napkin, and made a good show of evaluating the spread prior to making his selections, occasionally exchanging verbal barbs with those around him. His plate filled, Draco walked casually over to where the man stood, black-clad back to the wall.

"Severus."

"Draco." The Potions Master responded with a curt nod.

"Enjoying the gathering?" Draco popped a ripe cherry into his mouth, his heart clenching from the memory the fruit inspired.

"Hardly." Was Snape's biting reply. "You?"

"I would rather be setting myself on fire with a blast-ended skrewt."

The dry snort that passed for laughter with the ebony haired professor floated about the pair as their gazes, obsidian and silver, moved constantly over the crowd. They ate in companionable silence, comfortable in each other's presence.

Setting his plate aside, Severus wiped his lips with a crisp linen napkin. "You had words with Lucius."

"Indeed."

"Yet, it is not your father's ire that has placed the glint of danger in your eye." The observant wizard stated dryly.

Turning slightly so that his face was hidden from the room, Draco discarded his plate while whispering low, "Ginny Weasley has been taken."

If he was shocked by these words, Snape hid it well as he shrugged. "The silly girl is probably off with friends again. She pulled the same stunt just last evening."

Draco folded his arms over his chest and pressed his back to the wall alongside his friend and mentor. "How do you know that, about last night?"

"Who do you think Molly flooed, shrieking the news that her youngest had not returned from work?" Snape arched a black brow over an equally dark eye and regarded the young wizard at his side. "I wasted several hours of prime sleeping time searching for the girl only to be informed that she had merely skived off class to play." He snorted with disgust before taking a long sip from his own cup.

Draco hesitated a moment before stating, "Ginny didn't skive off." He grimaced before continuing. "She was with me. And now she is missing. I found evidence of an attack outside the cantina where she works." The blond wizard noted that with his words, the dark professor stiffened slightly, the crease between his eyes deepening a bit as he listened. "A sandal had been ripped from her foot in the struggle and there was blood…"

"Blood?" Snape intoned, his posture of calm never wavering.

"Yes."

"Where?"

"I found blood and hair on the side of the rubbish bin near the cantina."

Levering himself from the wall, Snape commanded, "Walk with me, Mr. Malfoy. We will attract less attention if we are seen strolling about the entertainments."

As they roamed, Severus and Draco projected an almost tangible wall of predominant isolation before them, causing the other wizards to provide them with wide berth. Draco Malfoy, the rising son of a powerful and feared family, walking with Severus Snape, Voldemort's chained angel of death, was a sight that inspired awe and trembling fear. Those who attempted to penetrate their barrier of segregated superiority were quickly dissuaded of the notion by twin glares of silver fire and black ice.

"Miss Weasley was with you last night." Snape prodded as the pair stood observing Gregory Goyle's attempts at avoiding the mace-swinging target. " Explain."

Quickly, Draco recited the events of the previous evening, how he had followed the young witch into the alley, her violent reaction to his touch, and the hours he had spent holding her as she struggled and cried. He avoided mention of his planned seduction and his suspicions concerning her probable rape.

"I escorted her home, and I have spoken with her today. When I returned to the cantina earlier this evening, hoping to- well, that is unimportant. I found what looked to be the remains of a struggle. Your skills are far superior to mine, Severus, you would likely find something that will allow us to locate her." Draco glanced at the wizard he had called friend for the past three years, waiting patiently.

"Other than last night and today, have you spent an inordinate amount of time in her company?"

Draco knew where this line of questioning could lead and hid his trepidation behind a jaunty salute to Vincent Crabbe, who was next up on the list. He spoke to his mentor around a chilly smile. "I have been visiting Fortesque's establishment frequently, yes, but all Weasley and I have done is spar." His conscience kicked him sharply so the young wizard added sotto voice, "I kissed her, ok?"

"Has it occurred to you, Draco, that Miss Weasley's disappearance could be a direct result of the unusual amount of attention you have paid her of late?" Snape's tone was as dry and packed as the dirt on the tilting course and Draco's brain was rattled by the impact.

"Impossible." The young wizard retorted feeling his skin sting. "I have done nothing more than continue the battles we shared while in school."

"I do not recall you kissing Miss Weasley at Hogwarts." The Potions Master stated, his attention seemingly fixed by the action on the listing field.

"Things change, Severus. You of all people should be aware of that fact."

"Indeed." Here Snape fixed his youthful friend with a stern glare. "Yet some 'things' never change. Many of the folk in this very room would find your attention to Miss Weasley to be of great interest." He lowered his voice to a fierce whisper. "And of great value."

"No one knows of this!" Draco retorted.

"You have informed no one, other than myself?" Severus questioned, one brow quirked slightly.

"Well," here Draco floundered, mentally cursing himself. "Vincent and Gregory have accompanied me on several occasions, but they are harmless. They haven't the brains for independent thought, much less action."

"Do not fool your self, Draco." The dark Potions Master replied. "Even the dimmest of flames can burn you if mishandled."

The blond wizard could only nod in frustrated agreement.

The pealing of a gong interrupted their conversation and both wizards turned to the center of the chamber as two massive tables materialized upon a raised dais, arranged in a T shape. The tops were covered with crisp white cloths that hung to the floor. Around the tables, tall backed chairs were placed and at the head was an ornate, throne-like seat covered in deep, rich red velvet. A glad cry went up from some of the playing wizards.

"The Feast!"

"The Feast!"

"Where is the Man of Honor? Where is our king?"

Before Draco could draw a breath, he found him self scooped up and slung over a thick shoulder. Crabbe's voice rang out. "I have him here! Come help me, fellows! He is no lightweight." Laughing men surrounded Vincent and his fuming burden was lifted up. Draco's features were flushed with anger and indignation as he was raised high above the heads of his bearers and carried towards the dais, Gregory racing ahead to pull the throne from the table. With much fanfare, Draco was deposited into the gigantic seat and a crown of gold leaves was lowered upon his head.

"Behold, our king for the evening!" Goyle bellowed amid the rich laughter and catcalls.

Severus watched the proceedings, a disgusted expression on his narrow face. He turned slightly as he felt the approach of another and nodded politely to Lucius Malfoy. "Draco will make them pay dearly for their folly." He observed dryly.

Malfoy chuckled almost warmly. "As did I after my own wedding feast." Looking at his long time acquaintance, he continued. "You remember that night, do you not, Severus?"

"Indeed, I do." Snape responded as both wizards made their way to their chairs. "As I was the only sober man in the room that night."

"You always were a wet rag, my friend, but someone had to insure I made it to my wedding in one piece."

"The fact that I was capable of brewing a particularly powerful hangover cure not withstanding." Snape added as he and Lucius took their seats.

Lucius grinned. "There was that, yes."

The dust and grime magically removed from their formal robes, Vincent and Gregory took their places of honor located to either side of Draco. Unwilling to devote the time necessary in deciding who should stand with him during the wedding, and not actually caring, Draco had, weeks ago, simply informed both of the hulking wizards that they would act as best men. The pair now glowed with pride as they took center stage with their undisputed leader and watched as the remaining guests found their seats.

The feast was interminable for Draco. Dish after dish was pressed upon him and his goblet never seemed to run dry. He regretted not ordering his wine well watered as the evening wore on and the features of the chamber and its revelers became soft and fuzzy about the edges. He tried asking his two beaming best men leading questions about their activities since taking their leave of him this afternoon, but only received drunken nods and knowing winks in return. Music swirled about the feasters, as did the veiled dancers, the noise and distraction making eavesdropping on nearby conversations impossible. Nodding in agreement with whatever Gregory was proposing at the moment, Draco glanced to his far left, where Professor Snape sat chatting quietly with the elder Malfoy. The dark wizard had given him no sign during the feast that he had learned anything of import from those around him concerning Ginny Weasley and Draco ground his teeth behind the rim of his goblet.

He was pulled from his dark thoughts as Crabbe and Goyle lumbered drunkenly to their feet. "Shut yer gobs!" Vincent bellowed with a laugh. "Greg and I have a bit of a surprise for our beloved king here. But first," here the swaying giant raised his cup, " the toast." Chairs scrapped loudly as the assembled wizards rose, lifting their own drinks in salute. Draco pinched the bridge of his nose tightly and groaned.

"Draco," Vincent turned slightly and addressed the seated wizard, his words slurred and dragging. "You are the best friend in the whole wide world. I dare anyone at this table to show me a nobler, more loyal, more deserving wizard. He's a damn sight more than Pansy deserves, I say!" Mr. Parkinson snorted loudly and had to be restrained by his neighbors as the rest of the assembly roared in appreciation. Vincent wiped his eyes and continued. "Words can't describe how Greg and I feel about you, so I won't even try. We'll let the gift speak for its self. Suffice it to say, we love you, mate!" Both Crabbe and Goyle sniffed loudly. "To Draco!"

"To Draco!" The platters that yet remained upon the table vibrated from the roar as the assembled wizards toasted the groom. Their cups had barely left their lips when Gregory cried out, "The dessert! Bring out the dessert."

"No, no." Draco said imploringly. "Really, guys, I can't eat another bite and it is getting…."

Vincent planted a beefy hand on the table in front of Draco and leaned down, his breath fanning the pale fringe on Draco's brow and causing the blond wizard to pull back from the fumes. "This ain't just _any _dessert, Draco. It came special order. Just for you."

Draco opened his mouth to protest further, beg if necessary, but the chamber doors flew wide with a resounding bang and a troupe of house elves entered bearing the largest platter the young wizard had ever seen. The used plates and flatware vanished from the table as the elves advanced with their offering. With its silver dome reflecting back the candle's glow, the covered dish was carried with great pomp to the head of the table and placed before the guest of honor. Draco reckoned he could lay full out upon the tray, so large was the piece, the domed cover rising high enough to obscure his view of the lower table. Pushing back his chair, Draco rose slowly. He cocked a platinum brow at the grinning Crabbe. "What is _this_?"

"This, my friend," Vincent nodded sharply to the elves and the silver lid vanished with a pop. "is dessert!"

The spit instantly evaporated from Draco's mouth.

Turned slightly on her side, her head pillowed on one bent arm, Ginny Weasley rested upon a bed of rose petals. Her eyes were closed and her chest rose and fell with her slight breathing. Her lightly freckled face was calm in repose and Draco felt his heart catch in his chest as he wondered what hexes and curses had been performed upon her. Thick lashes, long and bright as her hair, feathered over cheeks that glowed like ivory in the candlelight. Her fiery hair had been artfully arranged about her body, spilling over the scented bed and looping along the swell of her breasts. Several coppery tendrils coyly curled about the length of the arm that lay across her narrow waist drawing the viewer's eye down the length of her body. The garment she wore had been cunningly arranged as well, exposing one bent thigh, yet hiding the dewy cleft of her womanhood.

"Wow!" Draco exhaled loudly, his eyes wide with surprise. "Wow, guys… this is…wow."

Crabbe and Goyle, laughing, slapped their stunned friend hard on the back, nearly causing Draco to topple over on to the sleeping witch before him.

"Bet you weren't expecting this, huh?" Goyle slurred through a lopsided grin.

"Did we do good, Draco?" Vincent asked eagerly.

Draco looked at the two young wizards; their round faces glistening with drunken sweat, and mentally cursed their stupidity in bringing the girl to this place. He swallowed hard. "Guys, you really shouldn't have."

"Well, you making us best men and all," Crabbe slurred. "We wanted to show just how much that, and you, mean to us."

"Yea!" Goyle belched, listing slightly to port. "Ain't'cha gonna have a taste? Go on! You get the first piece."

The crowd roared their approval of Gregory's suggestion, save Pansy's father, who protested in hot whispers to those wizards close enough to hear.

Deciding to indulge the baser appetites of his audience while formulating a plan for Ginny's escape, Draco snatched the ridiculous crown from his head and tossed it across the chamber where it landed with a loud clang. Wearing a feral grin, he climbed upon the table and advanced on all fours until he was positioned above the sleeping witch. The fragrance rising from her warm skin mingled with the wine he had consumed, making his head swim with desire. Lowering his mouth, he extended his tongue and laved Ginny's face from jaw to temple. Glancing up at the heated eyes around him, Draco licked his lips. "Tasty." He growled before going back for seconds. This time the wizard nibbled along the slim length of her neck, taking notice of the collar and chain. His action caused Ginny to roll fully to her back and Draco released a groan of pleasure and pain as her round breasts came into view, the pink rose buds of her nipples peeking shyly up at him from behind their misty veil. He nudged the material aside with his nose, breathing in deeply of her scent, before pulling one pert nipple between his lips. He could feel his cock tighten in anticipation.

The gathered wizards yelled with enthusiasm.

"What fun is there in playing alone, Draco?" Lucius called down the table's length to his son while extracting the ebony length of his wand from his sleeve. "Let us see what your new plaything is capable of. _Enervate!_"

Draco mentally cursed his sire as Ginny's body bucked below him and her eyes sprang wide, her lips opened in a gasp of surprise. Draco threw himself on the now struggling woman, his mouth claiming hers in a bruising kiss. Ginny gagged as his tongue drove past her lips and deep into her throat. Draco dug the fingers of one hand into the curls at the back of her head, forcing her to arch her neck as he released her mouth and began to roughly bite his way along her jaw line. Ginny clawed at his shoulders while her hips writhed in a vain attempt to free herself of his pressing weight.

"You bastard!" Her scream exploded near Draco's ear while her fingers wound their way into his streaming, silver hair. She pulled fiercely, feeling some of the strands pop loose from his scalp. Her attacker released a howl of pain as his head was mauled and snatched. Sitting back on his heels, Draco pinned Ginny's hips as his hands battled her flying fists. Shrieking obscenities and howling in violent protest, Ginny laid into the silver-eyed wizard, raking her claws over his face and the backs of his hands. Grunting with the effort, he finally managed to capture her slashing claws and imprison them above her flaming head, his fingers tightly wrapped around her wrists. Panting, Draco leaned in and kissed the hissing, snarling woman on the tip of her freckled nose.

"Welcome to my bachelor party, Ginny-girl." He crooned evilly.

Ginny fell still before tilting her head backwards and then to either side. The lust filled faces of a score or more wizards leered back at her. A whimper crawled from her throat as she returned her gaze once more to Draco's; his face now inches from her own. "It would seem that Goyle and Crabbe thought you would make a suitable wedding gift." He informed her loudly, his gray eyes stormy and intent upon hers. "Imagine my surprise when I saw you laying here all warm and soft, like fresh cake. I just could not bring my self to refuse their generosity." He kissed her roughly, nipping at her swollen bottom lip, and then sliding his mouth along her cheek and to her ear. "I will get you out of here, Ginny. Believe me." He whispered urgently before running his tongue along the tender shell of flesh.

Draco was unsure how much of his hurriedly whispered message the girl was able to take in, for as he levered himself from her and prepared to pull her up with him, she managed to snatch one hand free of his grasp. Stars filled his vision for a second after her fist barreled into his nose and he staggered back hard against his chair, managing to topple both himself and the heavy piece of furniture ass over heels. Fighting his way out of his tangled cloak, Draco looked up in time to see Ginny spring to her bare feet, the thin, golden chain buzzing angrily as she whirled it about her. The ominous sound created by the propelling links reminded Draco of enraged bees.

Blaise Zambini attempted to snatch Ginny by the ankle and cried out in painful anger as the whining strand caught him about the face. Though they laughed at Zambini's failed maneuver, each wizard cautiously stepped back from the table. Several yelled words of encouragement and advice to Draco as he wrestled himself free of his restricting garment with the help of the drunk and chortling Goyle and Crabbe. "No wands!" He bellowed, finally stepping forward. "I do not want her injured!" Here he paused to wink at his audience. "Yet."

"You are going to have to kill me, you loathsome toad!" Ginny cried as she danced away from grabbing hands. Several more male voices yelped as her whirling chain bit into their flesh. She moved, cat like, down the table, kicking goblets of wine from her path. The spinning chain moved about her like a humming shield as she dodged groping fingers and the occasional thrown cup or plate.

"You cannot escape, Weasley." Draco informed the terrified, enraged witch in a bored tone. Ginny turned to face her tormentor and Draco's felt his gut ice over. Ginny's eyes were filling with panic and her breathing was becoming labored. The angry flush that had earlier colored her cheeks had faded and now her face was deathly pale. She stared at him, confusion and hurt racing across her features.

"You lied. You said you would never hurt me. You lied."

Draco gave a cheerful shrug and looked wide-eyed at the crowd of wizards. "I am a Malfoy." He chuckled. "It is what I do."

"Well said, Draco!" Lucius laughed from the sidelines, drawing Ginny's pinched glare and the hissing length of chain to his beautifully maleficent face. With an adroit step backwards, Lucius neatly avoided the stinging links and raised his cup to the witch in a smirking salute. "Quiet the bloodthirsty little bitch, wouldn't you agree, Severus?" The wizard inquired of the dark personage at his side.

Ginny's brown eyes widened further at the sight of her former Potions Master. He stood with unflappable poise amongst the howling, slavering wizards, regarding the panting, terrified witch with seeming disinterest.

"Pro...Professor Snape?" Ginny whispered, strangling on her unbelief.

"Oh ho!" Lucius chortled, his icy blue eyes rounding in mock anxiety. "Severus, I fear the chit recognizes you. Surely your cover has been blued."

Severus rolled his black eyes. "Blown, Lucius! My cover has been _blown._" He growled, before inserting a lowly hissed addendum. "_Imbecile!_" Stepping to the table's edge, he stabbed a pale finger towards the staggering witch. "Miss Weasley, cease your vapid silliness and come down here, now!" He watched as the deeply etched lines of confusion and fear became blurred by regret and gall.

"Drop dead, you traitorous bastard!" Ginny growled her response, to the increased delight of her audience. On skittering feet, she darted further along the table top, dodging groping hands, sending her biting golden leash before her. Crabbe and Goyle staggered the length of the dais and clambered drunkenly to stand upon the table, effectively blocking the woman's escape. Ginny froze, her frightened brown eyes darting about for refuge. Snape's appearance and his obvious allegiance with the ravening crowd surrounding her had turned Ginny's fueling rage to ash; only the cold damp of fear remained, easily smothering the heat of her ire. What hope that had sparked in her heart died under his hard glare. Now faced with the twin blocks that were Crabbe and Goyle, she felt the last of her resistance being snuffed out.

Draco was carefully sidling closer to the red head, his feet avoiding the spreading puddles of wine. Below him, a pair of his father's drunken compatriots clung to each other, doubled over with mirth.

"Full of fire, that wench!" One noted, wiping gleeful tears from his eyes.

"Aye! Bes' cool her down or she'll scorch young Draco's bits to charcoal!" That said, the wizard extracted his wand and pointing it at the unsuspecting Ginny, muttered a short spell.

"No!" Draco heard himself cry as a blast of water struck Ginny on the side of the face, forcing her head to whip painfully about on her slim neck. Her pained whimper was drowned by the hiss of water and the yells of approval from her tormentors. Cursing roundly, Draco kicked at the wand-bearing wizard, catching him smartly at the elbow.

"You're making a mess." Draco whined in an irritated voice to the man, who clutched his shattered appendage to his side. "This piece is solid mahogany." His boot heels clicked loudly on the shining surface as he closed the distance between himself and Ginny. The icy bath had reduced her veil to a milky, clinging second skin. It molded to her body, hiding nothing from the hot eyes of her captors. Her pink tipped breasts rose and fell in time with her shallow panting and the glittering chain rattled from her fingers as she covered her chest with her arms in a futile attempt to hide her shame. If he could just touch her, Draco's brain lamented. He would somehow reassure her of his promise to keep her safe. Pinning her with a determined look, he extended one hand, his fingers beckoning impatiently.

"Really, Weasley," His voice rolled out lazily. "There is no where for you to run."

"Not necessarily true, Draco!" Cried a voice from behind the blond. Glancing over his shoulder with an impatient grimace, Draco spied the elder Goyle, his host, raising his hands in a sweeping, magnanimous, gesture. "She has the whole of the Fair!" Casting a shrewd eye over his guests, Goyle continued. "I propose a Hunt!"

"Nooooooooo!" Ginny wailed, crumbling to her knees.

The chamber exploded in a roar of agreement and the weakly struggling witch was dragged from the table. Cruel hands pinched and stroked her body as she was carried the length of the lower dais and tossed roughly to the ground. The blond wizard kept his features neutral as he rapidly considered the options. The majority of the gathered wizards were Death Eaters. How kindly would they take to his curtailing their fun? Yet the peril for Ginny... Draco risked a quick glance at his former professor, catching the irritated glint in Snape's black eyes. The dark wizard's head dipped in a barely perceivable nod and Draco whirled upon his host.

"She is mine." He called. "I claim the right of forfeit! Should she be captured by anyone other than myself, I claim the right of forfeit!"

" 'Tis only fair." Goyle agreed.

Draco leaped nimbly from the table and strode to where Ginny cowered in the dirt. Gripping her by the upper arms, he pulled her staggering to her feet. Gazing at her dirt and tear streaked face he addressed her coolly. "Feeling up to a bit of sport, little weasel?"

Ginny hung her head, refusing to meet his mocking eyes. "Just kill me now." She whispered.

"Ah, where's the fun in that, Weasley? Now, give us a kiss and off you go." That said, Draco cupped the back of her head with one large hand and twisted her face upwards. He caught the emptiness in her once sparkling, chocolate eyes before he brought his lips down. He plundered her unresisting mouth, felt her sag helplessly against him. Releasing her lips, he dragged his teeth roughly along her jaw, his growled words nearly buried by the appreciative cheers of his audience. "Don't give up, Ginny! Don't you dare give up! Now hide, damn you! I will protect you, just as I promised."

Releasing her, the young wizard pulled a heavy silver watch from an inner pocket. The lid snapped up and Draco glanced dispassionately at the mother of pearl face. "Let it not be said that you were not given a sporting chance, little weasel. You have two minutes to secure your bolthole 'ere the hounds are loosed. Use that time wisely." Looking into Ginny's uncomprehending face, Draco smirked and leaned closer. "Off with you now. Shoo!"

Clutching her scanty covering about her, Ginny backed fearfully from the circle of leering wizards, then with one last panicked look, she was gone, vanishing amongst the many tents and cubicles of the fair.

"One more factor in her favor, I do believe." Murmured Draco, pulling his wand and pointing it ceiling-ward. "_Vespertum._"

The lighting in the chamber immediately took on a dusk-like quality, images blurring and melting into the gloom.

Draco's group was soon joined by Lucius and Snape, a red faced Parkinson scampering in their wake.

"I say," Mr. Parkinson blustered. "I am not feeling quite right about this bit of a romp. The girl doesn't appear the least bit willing."

_No shit, you wanker! _Draco observed silently as he watched the slender, filigreed minute hand move with alarming speed through Ginny's allotted head start.

"Have no fear on that point, Sylvester." Lucius drawled. "The girl is a professional, quite an accomplished actress." The lie dripped easily from his lips as he hid a smirk behind the rim of his goblet.

"Oh well," Parkinson gruffed. "In that case...I suppose it will be..."

The silvery chime of Draco's watch interrupted the older man's words and a blood-curdling yell burst forth from the assembled wizards as they leaped to the hunt. Draco watched as his father and Mr. Parkinson strolled calmly behind the wave of terror sweeping over the grounds.

A large hand upon his shoulder stalled Draco's own pursuit of the prey and he looked quickly back into the black eyes of his mentor and friend.

Without a word spoken, the pair vanished into the gloom.

Ginny was blind and deaf to the passage of time. She darted like a rabbit from one hiding place to the next, terrified of being found, of what would happen when their hands were once more laid upon her. The sudden gloom had frightened her until she realized the potential benefit of the deeper shadows.

The shock of being captured, the shame brought on by Lucius Malfoy's eyes on her bare skin, all were eclipsed by the terror that now coursed through her veins like scalding water. The potion she had taken flashed in her brain, magnifying each sensation, causing her to focus on nothing and everything at the same time. The scrape of rough tent canvas along her skin burned like fire, the sounds of pursuit crashed painfully on her hypersensitive ears and the slightest movement in her peripheral caused her to flush, like a startled pheasant.

**Hello, Ginny Weasley**.

The memory slipped unchallenged into her mind and Ginny attempted to mentally dodge its approach. Ink fading into ancient pages, flowing script taking its place.

**My name is Tom**.

The sight of Professor Snape amongst the other jeering wizards had shaken Ginny severely. She had very nearly thrown her self into his arms, pleading for her safety, but his cold glare had stifled the impulse. Once again, she discovered, her trust had been horribly misplaced. Once more, she discovered that she had been deceived.

Abandoned.

**I will never leave you, Ginny. We are the dearests of friends, after all**.

No, she screamed silently. It was a lie!

She had taken refuge within the obliging folds of voluminous tent fabric, and tucking her knees tightly to her chest, attempted to calm the hammering of her heart.

**No one appreciates you as I do, Ginny.**

Light footfalls on packed ground captured her attention and Ginny pressed her self deeper into the concealing folds of the tent. Her hand came up to cover her mouth fearful her panting breaths would give away her hiding place. The steps inched closer.

**Come to me, Ginny. I will show you the way.**

"Here, kitty-kitty-kitty." Her stalker crooned. "Sweet pussy."

**So sweet! You are my own sweet Ginny-girl.**

No! Go away! Go away!

A silk-clad arm wormed its way through the folds of fabric and Ginny watched the advancing fingers in horrible fascination. The hand groped the air inches from Ginny's trembling thighs before retreating and over the blood rushing through her ears, she could hear stealthy steps moving away. Gulping back tears, the young witch forced her self to remain still until she was sure the wizard had moved on, then oh, so carefully, crawled from her canvas nest.

**Will you let me touch you, Ginny-girl? I have been alone for so long.**

Pushing the insidious voice from the forefront of her mind, Ginny swiped at her tears with one grimy hand.

The half-light of the chamber confounded Ginny's eyes, smearing her surroundings in smoke damaged colors. She stepped cautiously, shifting her weight to the outsides of her bare feet. Holding the sharp links of her chain tightly wrapped about one fist; she peeked swiftly around the side of the canvas structure. In the gloom, Ginny was unable to spot her pursuers, hoping against hope that they were equally blinded. Easing from the relative safety of her hiding spot, she prepared herself for yet another frenzied dart over the hard packed dirt floor.

**I have you now, Ginny-girl!**

"Have you now, my pet!" A well-padded arm snatched the terrified witch from her feet, pressing her back into an equally fluffy abdomen. With a whimpered growl, Ginny threw her head back, feeling her captor's nose collapse against her skull. He howled in pain, releasing her as his hands flew to his shattered visage. His voice was clotted with blood when he called after her fleeing form. "You bishush bind. I'll bloody kill you por dat!"

Ginny's heart filled her throat as her attacker's cry brought the remaining pack baying in her direction. Skidding on the dry dirt, she caught herself with one hand as her eyes darted about the dusky chamber seeking escape. A wall of rough cut stone blocked her flight on one side while swiftly approaching wizards closed in from all other points of the compass. With a resigned exhale; Ginny launched herself at the wall, praying the drop would be long, dark and final. Her fingers scrambled against its abrasive surface as she vaulted the top most stones, the golden links of the chain tearing through the brittle mortar. With her eyes closed, the witch released herself into the fall, sadly welcoming her possible demise.

**We will be together...for all time.**

Nooooooooooo!

The impact rattled the teeth in Ginny's head and she found herself sprawled once more on hard dirt. Struggling to her feet, she sprang instantly into a drunken run only to be snatched rudely by a sudden tightening at her neck. Her fingers scrambled franticly at the heavy collar feeling the vibrating tension from the attached leash as her eyes followed the golden strand upwards to discover it sandwiched deeply within the joints of two stones. From above her head came the sound of pounding feet and delighted laughter. Ginny grappled with the trapped leash, flicking and jerking at the metal thread. A low, wet rumbling at her back caused the witch to cease her struggles and slowly turn.

From the oppressive shade of the pit emerged a massive wolfhound, its coat a patchwork of matted gore and dust. The hackles rising along its back resembled spears, the tail rigid with pain and anger. A black tinged line of spittle hung from the creature's jaw, growing longer and thinner until it broke free to land on one enormous paw. The animal advanced with stiff legged menace, black lips rippling over its long, yellow fangs, the glowing red eyes fixed upon the one who had dared to disturb him as he had licked his last opponent's blood from his wounds.

The captured leash forgotten before this new horror, Ginny pressed herself helplessly against the unmoving stone behind her. Images of her ravaged, torn carcass invaded her brain, the brutal agony she would suffer before death claimed her at last filled her every thought and once more she closed her eyes tight against the ending.

**Ginny-girl? Where aaaaaaaaaaaare you?**

"_Avada Kedavra!"_

A flash of green light appeared behind Ginny's eyelids and then was gone. She felt a rush of air and heard a gentle thud as someone or something landed in front of her. Long fingers laced themselves into the hair at her nape, directing her face upwards. The last of the young witch's strength trickled like sand from the fragile hourglass of her resolve and she collapsed against a hard chest covered in aromatic, spicy broadcloth. Let it end, she pleaded silently. Please.

"Open your eyes, Miss Weasley." Severus Snape ordered in a gentle whisper and so accustomed was she to following this one's command she immediately obeyed. He studied her for the briefest of seconds, his practiced gaze taking in her wildly dilated pupils, the blue tinge of her trembling lips, before he lifted his wand tip and placed it against the spot where her tether and the collar joined. Ginny experienced a flash of heat, heard a swift pop, and the chain broke away. Her knees buckled and she would have crumbled into a heap at the Potions Masters feet had he not held her by her tangled tresses. She grappled at his lapels, trying to bring her feet once more under her body but the dark wizard shrugged off her desperate attempts and dragged her roughly to the center of the pit.

"_Finite Incantarum." _Snape roared and the chamber once more blazed with light. Ginny shielded her eyes from the sudden glare and then gasped sharply in pain as the hand in her hair jerked her upright. A delighted cheer went up from the wizards that lined the wall and Severus bowed, snidely acknowledging their praise. Lucius, one hip propped upon the rugged stone, lifted his cup in salute. Spinning in a tight, slow circle, Snape pulled the groaning, defeated witch in his wake, flaunting his prize as she floundered at his side.

"Oh good show, Severus!" Draco crowed as he vaulted the wall and landed graceful as a cat. His storm cloud gaze flickered over the canine body before returning to his friend and the witch dangling from his fist. When Draco had spotted Ginny's desperate leap into the dog pit, his fear for her had nearly brought him to his knees. It was only the sight of Snape flying into the hole, his robes billowing about him like the wings of some demonic guardian angel, which had allowed the blond wizard to maintain his poise.

"Congratulations Severus." Draco stated as he strode closer to shake the winner's hand. He took in Ginny's battered condition, the scrapes on her palms and knees, the pallor of her skin and worse, the glazed void filling her eyes. He flashed a wicked, toothy smile at his former Potions Master. "I am in your debt."

"Forfeit!" Cried a voice from above the trio. It was quickly taken up by the others who had gathered to watch. "Forfeit! Forfeit!"

Draco lifted his shoulders in a mocking shrug before sending a cunning grin at his friend. "Well Severus, what will it be?"

The dark wizard eyed his young apprentice before glancing towards the witch trembling at his side. "I will take the witch. I doubt Miss Parkinson will take kindly to your bringing this lovely bit of flesh along on your honeymoon."

It couldn't have been a more cleverly conceived plan. Severus had captured the prey and it was in Draco's power to grant the victorious wizard this boon. Ginny would be safe. Snape would take her from this particular corner of hell, hide her away for a few days and then return her safely to the arms of her family. An easily explained _Obliviate _would provide Snape's cover. Very nice. Very neat.

But this opportunity, this one glorious opportunity would never come again. He would have the time... He could explain...make her see. No, it was wrong! What he was contemplating was horrible, temptingly wrong.

Draco opened his mouth to grant Severus' request and was just as shocked as his mentor at the words that came forth.

"No. She is mine and I will not share." The silence that rose between the two wizards was nearly palpable so thick did it become. The professor's dark eyes flared with quickly suppressed anger before he blinked it into submission. He speared Ginny with his glare. Merciless, black eyes bore into her wet, brown ones and Ginny felt the strength flow out of her legs, leaving her dangling in the Potions Master's grip. "Professor Snape…please don't…" she whispered.

His gaze never leaving hers, Snape addressed Draco. "I have secured your prize, I should receive a bit of reward."

Draco folded his arms across his chest, smirking. "And what would that be, Severus?"

Severus smiled coldly and Ginny closed her eyes against the sight.

"I know you are disinclined to share your possessions, but I have long desired a taste of this particular Weasley. You must admit she is a cut above the rest of the litter. Being female makes her the only useful one of the lot." This drew a hoot of approval from the gathering and Lucius Malfoy's lips drew back in an approving smile.

"Been lusting after your young charges, have you, Snape?" Mr. Parkinson inquired with a growl from his perch along the circling stones.

Severus sent the blustering wizard a slow, withering glare. "You may rest easy Parkinson. It was only the attractive ones that captured my eye."

The chamber erupted once more in bawdy chuckles and Severus returned to his study of Miss Weasley. " A kiss, I believe, would settle the score nicely."

"Of course, Severus. Help yourself to a healthy grope while you are at it." Draco offered smoothly.

"How generous of you, Draco." Snape replied. "I believe I shall." So saying, the Potions Master snatched the witch upright and captured Ginny's quivering lips with his own. She hung limp on his arm while his sleek tongue invaded her mouth and his free hand slide leisurely along her waist to cup the firmness of one breast, his long fingers stroking teasingly over the sensitive peak.

"Seems like you've lost your skill there, old man!" Someone yelled from above. "She appears a bit uninterested if you ask me!"

Severus released her mouth, demanding, "Look at me, woman!"

Shivering, Ginny forced her eyes to open, tears of shame and fear coursing down her dirty cheeks. Snape continued to fondle her breast as he inquired in a conversational tone, "You know who I am."

**You know who I am.**

She hesitated before nodding mutely.

"Never forget that." Snape hissed before leaning down to bite sharply at her exposed throat. Ginny cried out from the pain, her hands moving up to his chest in a futile attempt to fend him off. The professor chuckled against her skin and tightening his grip on her hair, buried his face in the curve on her neck. The young witch increased her struggles when she felt his tongue glide along her shoulder before biting and nipping his way back to her ear. Through her rising hysteria, Ginny heard her former professor and long time confident murmur. "Trust Draco."

_Trust Draco?_

**Trust me.**

"Do as he says and you will come to no harm. Trust him."

**What is your pain to me, Ginny-girl? Don't you want me to be happy?**

Giving her breast a final tweak, Severus released his hold on Ginny, allowing the witch to collapse in a heap at his feet. He quirked a jet brow at the waiting, leering blond. "Delightful, Draco. Your friends have chosen well."

"I am glad you approve." Draco responded, reaching out to fondly shake his professor's hand.

"If you should ever tire of her…" Severus artfully left the sentence dangling.

Draco wrapped his fingers about the band of gold, bringing Ginny choking and gasping to kneel before him. "Oh Severus, remember? I do not like to share."

Turning, he made for the door that would lead him to the upper chamber, dragging Ginny along behind him. With a snap of his fingers, the sumptuous cloak was once more draped over his shoulders.

"Draco, where are you rushing off too in such a hurry?" Lucius inquired as his son and Professor Snape emerged from the pit nearly dragging the Weasley chit between them. "The night is young and your friends want to see you play with your new toy." He reached out an elegant hand and stroked the shining red head quivering at his son's heel.

Draco gave his father a cold glare. "I am used to playing alone, Father. I have no desire to change that habit now." He whirled, flashing a toothy grin to the room at large. "My dear friends," he called, and then bowed in the direction of Goyle Senior. "My most excellent host, I bid you good evening. Mr. Goyle, if you would be so kind as to lift your apparation barrier? I am eager to finish unwrapping my gift."

The elder Goyle pulled his wand and murmured a spell. Draco pressed Ginny's head tight against his thigh and with a loud crack the pair vanished.

"Ungrateful pup!" Lucius snarled, sotto voice.

"I say," cried Mr. Parkinson, highly flustered. "You don't think he truly intends to take the chit along on the honeymoon?"

"Friends!" Bellowed the host. "Lucius is correct, the evening is young and yet holds promise. We have dancing girls!"

A cheer went up as the wizards returned to their sport.

Severus Snape stared at the spot from which Draco and Ginny had vanished and wondered about his young friend's actions. He would linger for a bit so as not to arouse suspicions and then he would have a word or two with Draco.

TBC

Did Tom's thoughts come across properly? The potion is messing with Ginny's head big time. I wasn't sure how to handle this part of the chapter.

My thanks to fallenwitch for her careful reading and gentle suggestions. She has made this revised chapter much more than it was in the beginning. I hope to have the next chapter up for you all soon. As these are the final days of the school year, I will be busy with parent meetings, graduation for two of my students and making gifts for my own son's teachers. Be patient with me. I would much rather be writing this stuff than shutting down my classroom. Now, feed me. I hunger.

Love,

gotsnape


	6. Chapter 6

Sunshine and Shadows- Chapter 6 

_This chapter is dedicated to Oihane () who has gone back are re-read each chapter and so that she can atone for not reviewing sooner. Thank Yous for fallenwitch for her beta help. Her encouragement and ideas have been above valuable. I am sure The Master can whip up a little something for that 'bike-butt' problem. He might even be persuaded to apply it for you. IF you ask nicely. Huggs to you, fallen!_

Simple Knots + 

He kept a steadying palm pressed against her skull as they _Apparated_ into a small, secluded glade situated somewhere in the middle of Ireland. Ginny's nose instantly filled with the rich smells of wet trees and loam. A whispered spell, and the pair vanished with a _pop, _to reappear beside a pair of rubbish bins located in the alley between two of London's most famous nightclubs. Another whisper took them away and planted them near a rocky outcropping overlooking a raging sea. Three more times the couple blinked into new locations before disappearing once more, as if they were simply the product of someone's fevered dreaming.

With a final, exhausted _pop_, the wizard and the witch who cowered at his feet, arrived at their final destination.

The late summer wind snorted with chilling distain, snatching rudely at the rich fabric of Draco's cloak. Overhead the sky glowed with the clear, silver light of the waning moon, the few tattered clouds that could be seen were fast loosing their struggle against the fierce currents that gnawed along their edges. Ginny, still crouching at his feet, moaned and wearily surveyed the gloomy 'scape until her gaze fell on the well clad leg of her captor. With a snarl, she sank her teeth into Draco's calf.

His howl of surprised pain ended in a _huff _as the wizard tumbled backwards, landing flat on the cold ground. Ginny wasted no time. Swift as a cat she was on her feet, making to dart into the concealing shadows of the nearby trees. Her flight was short lived, however, for her curls were still clutched tightly in Malfoy's hand. Wrapping desperate fingers about the slender tether, digging furrows along the back of Draco's hand, she pulled with all of her ebbing strength.

Draco's fingers stung from the raking they received, the digits nearly ripped from his hand by Ginny's fearsome struggle. "Merde, woman!" He snapped, attempting to free him self from the snarling woman and her tangle of hair

"Let go, bastard!" The witch screamed as she dug in her heels.

"No! Will you just calm down?" The pain in his fingers increased as Ginny sank her fangs into his abused flesh. She found his howl of anguish to be quite rewarding and so buried her teeth deeper, the taste of his blood feeding her attack.

"You are amputating my fingers, you bitch!" With his free hand, Draco seized Ginny's nose and clamped down hard. He twisted the sharp, little feature viciously, pulling his bloody fingers free as Ginny squealed in pain. Uttering a disgusted curse, he flung her from him.

Ginny landed heavily on her side, the breath leaving her lungs in a rush. Dizzily, she straightened her elbows, levering her upper body from the ground. Panic returned full blown when she glanced over her shoulder. Draco was on her in an instant, the fingers of his uninjured hand gouging into her wrist as he pulled her to her feet. The moonlight lay over his angry features in harsh lines of blue and gray and even in the gloom, Ginny could make out the fresh wounds she had inflicted on his cheeks and she cringed inwardly imagining his wrath. A fury she had seen only once before in another's eyes burned now in Draco's, scalding her senses and making her knees even weaker. Tiny sparks of black exploded before her vision and with a whimper; she shrank from the expected blow.

Draco ground his teeth in frustration at her display of unadulterated fear and released his hold upon her wrist. Lifting his damaged hand, he examined it in the moonlight. "That bloody well hurt, you know?" He grumbled, regarding his shredded fingers. "Thought you would have them off me in a bit."

Ginny swayed dangerously when Draco released her from his hold, the ground tilting upwards beneath her bare feet. The horrific events of the evening and the multiple apparations caused her head to spin alarmingly and with a groan, she crumpled to her hands and knees and began to violently dry-heave.

He sucked at the oozing wounds along his fingers as he observed the cowering witch. The young woman appeared to be shrinking into herself, drawing her knees to her chest and wrapping her dirt smeared arms about them tightly. Over the rattling of the dying grass and the whistling wind, the wizard could detect her frantic whimpers.

"I can't believe you bit me." Draco forced brightness into his voice that he did not, at this moment, feel but not wanting to increase her anxiety, settled on the one area he knew they could both agree upon - to disagree. "Can't rightly decide on which set of fangs are worse, yours or those damn Bat-Bogies. I still have scars, you know?" Stepping cautiously, as if her were approaching some wild creature, he continued. "Of course these bites have likely been infected by Weasley spit. I will be breaking out in spots soon. Can you picture _me_ with ginger hair?" He snatched a handkerchief from one of the many pockets of his robes and wrapped the mangled appendage. He would have to see to his healing later. For now, he had to get them both inside the manor. Only then, would Ginny truly be safe.

Ginny was silent, save for the panted whimpers. She now gently rocked her clenched body back and forth, her face paler than the moon that hovered coldly over their heads. Draco felt his stomach clench at the sight.

Removing his cloak, Draco squatted in front of the quaking, rocking witch, studying her intently. Ginny's brown eyes were wide and glassy, empty and doll-like. Her lips were drawn in a tight grimace of terror, moving soundlessly, though tiny, childish whimpers rose wraith-like into the night air. The sight set Draco's throat to aching with an emotion he could not readily identify. The memory of their encounter in the alleyway was foremost in his head.

"Gin?" He whispered soothingly, inching nearer to her huddled frame. "You are freezing, aren't you? I am going to cover you up." Draco dragged the voluminous length behind Ginny and with tender caution, pulled the collar snug about her ears, his gray eyes never leaving her face. His actions brought about no change in her mien for she appeared oblivious to her surroundings, ignoring even the slight improvement to her comfort. Her wide, wet gaze was fixed on a horror only she could perceive.

Unwilling to further alarm the traumatized witch, Draco slowly lifted a cautious hand to her face. He removed a coil of copper hair from where it was laying along her cheek and lips. His fingertip lightly grazed her skin and Draco sucked in a startled breath. It was as if she were made of ice! A harsh claxon sounded in the wizard's head.

"We need to get inside." He stated in a firm, but controlled tone. Ginny gave no indication she had heard him and continued to stare blindly into night. Draco leaned closer until his face was directly aligned with hers. "Weasley!" He barked. There was no response. She didn't even flinch.

He tapped a slim, tanned finger against his pursed lips as he considered their current situation and possible options. While the multiple apparations would have shaken any save the more talented of the partygoers who may have attempted to tail them, Draco knew they would remain in danger until they were within the protective wards that guarded their destination. He could, of course, cast a few warming and _Ignore Me_ charms and wait patiently for Ginny to drift back to reality, or he could...

A furtive rustling and the loud snap of a fallen branch from the nearby wood decided the wizard. The shadowed forest was home to more than squirrels and Draco had no desire to make their acquaintance. Gripping Ginny firmly by the shoulders, he stood, intending to bring the witch up with him.

"Noooooooooooo!" Ginny wailed as she lashed out at Draco with both fists. One blow impacted his cheek with a fury that brought tears to his eyes. Fighting to maintain a hold on his hysterical companion, Draco attempted to elude the hail of unrestrained madness currently pelting his head and upper body.

"Dammit, Ginny." He grunted as she thrust both balled fists into his solar plexus, pushing against him with all her might.

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzz!" The struggling woman pleaded in an earsplitting yell before panting, "Don't-don't-don't-don't..."

Bracing his legs firmly, Draco whirled Ginny about and pinned her arms securely to her sides with his own. Her back was now pressed against Draco's chest and while her thrashing head did not quite reach his chin, he was wise enough to keep his face pulled well away from her.

"It's ok. You are safe now, baby." Draco crooned in a calming voice. "Hush now. Hush, Ginny-girl."

He instantly cursed his stupidity as Ginny released a piercing screech that rattled in her throat and increased her desperate fighting. "Nooooooooooooooo!" Choking on spittle and tears, her struggles were no longer aimed at damaging her captor, but in gaining her freedom. Draco was convinced she would have chewed off her own appendages to be shed of him.

Or the monster that lurked in her memory.

With her arms clamped to her sides, Ginny made use of her feet, bashing Draco's shins repeatedly as she bucked and lunged against his greater strength.

"Ginny," Draco puffed as another sharp ankle contacted his shin. "You are going to hurt yourself. Relax. It's ok, it's ok. Ginny, don't make me stun you!" His eyes traveled to the forest edge, fearful of any creatures that may have been attracted by Ginny's screams as he dragged his contorting, sobbing burden backwards towards a dark pair of towering stones. Get to the gates, he chanted internally. Don't look at the forest, get to the gates.

Ginny continued her maniacal howling, tears pouring down her contorted features as the muscles in Draco's arms and chest burned from the effort of holding on. His litany of reassurances departed his lips as so much vain air as she seemed to spiral deeper into delirium.

"Mummy-mummy-mummy-mummy." She panted in desperation. Suddenly, as if drawn by a giant's hand, her body arched, horribly bow-like, away from Draco's. She hung suspended for an eternal second before falling still and lifeless in his embrace. Draco could hear a last, faint zephyr pass her lips as Ginny's weight pulled him to the ground.

Wrestling her now unresisting body across his lap, Draco lifted her face up to his. "Ginny?" He inquired in a strangled whisper that sounded oddly loud in the sudden calm. His skin stung with a million needles of fear as he took in her slack features. "Gin, baby? Don't do this, woman!" He stroked tangles of hair from her face and inspected her carefully in the silver moonlight.

The skin on her face and throat was a road map drawn with dirt and tears. Her lips were slightly parted, revealing the gleaming teeth that had shredded his hide just moments earlier. The eyes that had stared, blinded by terror, were now closed, the lashes spiky with tears. Draco ran his fingers along her jaw and down to the soft hollow at the base of her throat. His heart hammered painfully in his chest as he waited for some sign that the witch yet lived. Beneath his hopeful fingers he felt a tiny _tic-tic-tic, _like the pulse of a mouse and when he brushed his lips tenderly over hers, a faint exhale entered past his lips, the taste of her breath like candy on his tongue. To his delight, she shivered.

Sliding one arm about her shoulders and another beneath her knees, Draco stood, holding her limp weight against his firm chest. He could feel her slender body trembling with cold as he strode quickly to a massive wrought iron gate supported between a pair of stone pillars. A thick, scrolled serpent of iron formed the letter S in the space where the two gates met.

"Dark Lords suck!" Draco growled out the ward releasing charm and watched as the black metal turned a smoky gray. His body cleaved the misty rods and he grimly made his way up the long gravel walk. The manor house was as dark and chilling as the night surrounding him but Draco knew it to be occupied. He climbed the stairs to the front door and gave the heavy barrier a few hard kicks. Ginny shifted in his embrace and Draco pressed his lips to the top of her head where it lay against his shoulder.

"Shh, baby. You are safe now. Relax."

Impatiently, the wizard battered the door once more and shortly was rewarded by a click of the lock. The portal opened to the barest crack and one bulging yellow eye peered up at him through the slit.

"Quickly Leo!" Draco commanded.

With a squeak, the house elf leaped back, pulling the door wider, allowing the tall wizard to enter.

"Master Draco, we is not expecting you! We is hearing all sorts of terrible screams. We is all being afraid and is hiding in the cellar." The tiny creature explained as he closed and re-warded the door.

Draco was already making his way up the curving staircase, calling back over his shoulder. "I need a room prepared, now! See that a fire is laid as well."

"At once, Master Draco!" Leo piped before vanishing with an alarmed pop...

...only to reappear before Draco as the wizard reached the upper landing. "This way, sir." The house elf said before scampering down the long carpeted gallery. He came to a stop before a thick oaken door, turned the knob and disappeared inside.

Draco entered the chamber to find several elves scurrying about. A fire crackled lustily in the huge fireplace and he could feel the presence of several warming charms within the room. Leo had pulled the bed curtains from around the heavy four-poster that occupied the center of the room and was darting about over the mattress arranging the moss green duvet and fluffing the pillows. Draco moved swiftly to the bed and gently laid the young witch on the sheets. Leaving her cocooned within his cloak, he tucked the thick covers around her quaking body before smoothing a snarl of red hair from her white cheeks. To his surprise, her eyes were open slightly. Several small pops told him the elves had completed their tasks and taken their leave. Leo, alone, remained, his round, yellow eyes fixed intently on the trembling girl.

"Malfoy." Ginny's voice quivered with the tremors moving through her frame and the sound came out in a broken whisper. "So c-c-cold. Hurts." Her brown eyes, the pupils hugely dilated, wobbled as she attempted to focus and Draco watched in horror as her lips turned blue. Beads of sweat broke out on her too pale face and rolled down her skin like tears.

_Sweating? Why would she sweat so if she were cold? _Draco's brain stumbled about looking for answers as he stretched out beside the shivering woman and wrapping his arms about her, pulled her firmly against his body. _This is not right! She should be railing at me, snarling like a cornered kitten, not laying here...like THIS!_

Leo crept up from where he had been crouching at the foot of the bed and placed a twig like finger to the side of Ginny's neck. A faint, thin thread pulsed beneath the questing digit. Shaking his bald head with gloomy slowness, the elf leaned closer, sniffing the girl, taking in her quick, shallow breaths, before lifting his troubled gaze. "Young miss is not good, Master sir. The body, it be shutting down. Must warm her quickly." This said, the creature jumped from the bed. Draco heard the sound of running water and understood Leo's intent. Rising, he pulled the comforter from around Ginny, his gut twisting as she mewled weakly. "Hang on, Gin." He told the suffering witch, once more scooping her limp weight to his chest. A few quick strides brought them to the bathroom, which was rapidly filling with steam. Draco shifted Ginny in his arms as Leo dragged the heavy cloak from her body. He caught sight of the collar and his anger burned anew.

"Stupid, sodding bastards!" Draco roared. Sitting down upon the closed toilet lid, he secured Ginny in his lap with one arm. Pulling her flowing mass of curls to the side, he searched the collar with angry fingers locating the hasp. Snatching the offensive piece from her, he hurled it across the room, where it slammed against the wall with a bell-like ring. The shimmering belt soon followed then Draco, more tenderly this time, pealed the gossamer thin material from Ginny's too white body. He could feel the ice radiating from her, penetrating the layers of his robes. He forced his eyes to her face, refusing to rape her with his gaze.

"Water is being hot, but not too hot." The elf informed the wizard, gesturing towards the large sunken tub. Carefully, Draco kneeled and eased Ginny's unresisting frame into the water only to curse him self roundly when her face slid below the surface. Pulling the witch upright, he growled, "Hold her!" and Leo hastened to comply as Draco stripped down to his shirtsleeves and trousers. Kicking off his shoes, he climbed into the tub and took up a position behind the witch, allowing her back to press against his chest while her head fell loosely upon his shoulder. Copper coils of hair floated out into the rippling water, fanning around their bodies. He hissed in pain as the water soaked through his makeshift bandage to his torn fingers. Shrugging off the discomfort, he settled her more securely against his body.

"Ginny?" He called anxiously, turning her face up to his. "Ginny Weasley, look at me!"

The pain that filled her chest had moved out to invade Ginny's extremities as her body came into contact with the warm water and she felt the muscles of her abdomen contract sharply. Disoriented, her eyelids fluttered weakly as she struggled to obey his strident command but the effort left her nauseous. Draco's urgent voice sounded too loud to her ears. She groaned in tired protest.

"Ginny, you must stay awake for now. I have to know what they gave you? Was it a potion?"

"C-calm-ming potion." She breathed out painfully.

"That's all?" Draco demanded incredulously, his concern for her worsening condition sharpening his tone. No calming draught, no matter how poorly constructed, would bring about this type of reaction, for despite the warm water, Ginny's lips remained as bruised looking as before while she continued to shiver in his arms. Even now, her skin felt sickeningly chill against his. He scooped water over her exposed shoulders and throat as his agile mind sifted through all Severus Snape had taught him concerning potions, hexes, curses... other physical injuries.

And then he struck pay dirt, nearly jumping from the tub in agitation.

"You are going into shock, baby. We have to get you warmed up on the inside. Leo!"

"Yes, Master Draco?" The house elf responded from where he stood at a polite distance near the door.

"Fetch a bottle of Oro Pilla."

"At once, Master Draco."

Draco toed the faucet, bringing forth a spill of fresh hot water then shifted Ginny around in his lap until the witch straddled his thighs, her face resting on his chest. He needed her to be more alert. "Sit up, Ginny." He said, cupping her shoulders and pushing her slightly away. "Sit up and yell at me." Slowly, she forced her hands up from her sides and braced her forearms on Draco's upper body. Swaying slightly, Ginny struggled to raise her head.

The blond wizard heaved a sigh of relief when Ginny opened her eyes; the enlarged pupils making them appear almost totally black, and stared at him owlishly.

" "m naked." She creaked out.

"Yes, gloriously so." Her hips were pressed tightly to his and his groin tightened with appreciation. Draco smirked, scooping a handful of water and then allowing it to pour down her back. He repeated the action as he continued. "I did not even have the opportunity to shuck my own clothes before you pulled me in with you. This linen is imported, Ginny-girl. You owe me big."

"Ass-'ole. T-told you n-n-not to call me th-that." She whispered breathlessly.

He applied more water to her back and shoulders, cursing his eyes that refused to leave the crystal rivers that were flowing between her small _ohmygodthey'reperfect _breasts.

"You know, one day you will have to tell me about your aversion to that particular nickname."

"N-no. I could never t-tell you, or anyone." Ginny gave an emphatic shake of her head. "Never."

Draco regarded her, his expression as sober as her own. "That bad?" He asked after a moment.

"Horrible." She whispered, her eyes not wavering from his. Draco slowly poured more liquid warmth over her shoulders. Ginny shivered, pushing away from him and trying to cover her breast with her arms. "Get out now. Please... d-d-don't touch me anymore."

"Is that any way to speak to the wizard that just saved you from a night of shameful exploitation at the hands of a pack of drunken swots?" He asked, the petulant tone of his voice pairing nicely with the frown of feigned hurt that curdled his brow. "And allowed you to use his fingers as chew toys?"

Ginny's eyes closed and she turned her face away from him. Draco frowned.

Leo popped into sight, an opened bottle of brandy in one hand, and a heavy balloon goblet in the other.

"By the fire, if you please, Leo." Draco commanded. Leo left by the door this time, gently shutting the wooden panel behind him.

"I wanna go home." Ginny managed to slur as she weakly attempted to remove herself from his lap.

Draco flinched but managed to keep his voice calm. He captured her hand lightly with his own, not pulling yet preventing any further movement on her part.

"I can't take you home just yet."

"Why?" Ginny peered at him from over her shoulder. A thick rope of dripping hair covered one eye giving her an oddly coquettish appearance.

"Think Weasley." Draco replied, fighting to keep his eyes above her neck where they belonged.

Her fingers trembled as joined more tightly about his and Draco froze. Tears pooled her eyes as she glanced up and then quickly away. "You are s-supposed to be raping m-me."

"Yes."

"Will you?" The words were barely breathed, yet he caught them.

With a snort he pulled her back into his arms. She weakly resisted his embrace, protesting in broken whispers. He pushed her head to his shoulder and informed her gruffly, "I told you before, I am not a rapist. You will simply hide out here for a few days, enjoy the amenities that are normally out of the reach of one such as yourself, and then I will 'allow' you to escape. After altering your memory, of course."

"Of course." Ginny echoed then added. "We shouldn't be sitting here...you know, ah..."

"Ginny, you are suffering from a terrible blow. You have been kidnapped, drugged, terrorized and dragged over half of Great Britain. You were going into shock." He paused, but when she remained silent, he continued. "I could have left you in your party dress, but it was more fog than fabric." He stroked her arm where it lay across his chest. "I figured you wanted to be rid of the thing anyway. The fact you are now nude and we are sharing a tub of warm water has not escaped my notice, of course, but I have no intention of forcing myself on you."

"B-b-but I have never...I don't do things..."

Draco's finger pressed to her lips effectively silencing her. "Ginny," He paused, sighed heavily then continued. "I never thought you did. You have been hurt, Ginny. Let me take care of you. Can you trust me?"

_Trust Draco!_

Professor Snape's whispered command rose in Ginny's brain. She had trusted the dark professor for years; trusted him with things she never shared with another soul. Tonight she had feared her faith misplaced, but her secret confessor had proved her wrong. When I get out of this, Ginny silently promised, I will apologize. Big time.

"I trust you, Draco."

She felt him relax, his hand pausing for a moment before once more gliding gently along her arm.

"Thank you, Ginny."

Ginny watched his fingers trail along her skin, finding strange comfort in Draco's words and the steady beating of his heart under her cheek. The shame that had poured over her like the water from Draco's hand had evaporated, leaving her feeling strangely protected.

They soaked in steamy silence for several minutes and Draco was admiring the gleaming curve of her thigh when she startled him by speaking.

"Where are we?"

"The one place on earth Father will not approach without written invitation." He left her to ponder his words, in no rush to shatter the interlude or lose the delightful weight of the woman on his lap. Another minute passed.

"Well?" She managed to sound snappy which caused Draco to chuckle before giving into her curiosity.

"We are in the home of Professor Severus Snape. Somewhere in Northumberland, I believe." He waved one dripping hand dismissively.

He felt Ginny tense slightly then relax. "When I saw him tonight I thought..." Her voice faded.

"You thought he had betrayed you?"

She nodded against his chest, and to his delight, snuggled closer.

He toed the faucet once more and the rushing sound of water filled the room. When he closed the tap, he placed the knuckles of one hand under her chin. Lifting her face up he craned his head back awkwardly to take in her appearance.

To his relief, her lips were no longer a death-like shade of blue. The pink was returning to her flesh, though just slightly. "Do you still hurt anywhere?"

Ginny barely comprehended the question, so diverted was she by the honest concern in his gray eyes. Since when do Malfoy and Worry get together over Weasley? She licked her lips, her tongue feeling heavy and dry. "No. No pain, but my mouth is dry."

"Can you sit on your own?" Draco inquired.

"Yes, I think so." Ginny responded, already backing from the shelter of his arms and sinking lower into to the water until it was level with her chin.

Draco gave the witch a nasty leer and bracing his palms on the edge of the tub, pushed himself upright. Water poured from his body and clothing, splashing Ginny's face. She could have closed her eyes, but the sight was too beautiful to shut away.

Draco's saturated garments clung tightly to his skin, outlining each curve, dip and rise with amazing clarity. His white shirt had been rendered nearly transparent by the soaking and Ginny could easily see the deeper tan of his nipples standing out prominently on either side of his well-muscled chest. The black linen slacks were glued to the curves of his buttocks and the hard lines of his thighs. When he turned to face her, Ginny felt her skin tighten for the fore view of the young wizard was just as finely displayed as the rear. With a gentle gasp, she averted her eyes, cursing her chaste upbringing.

Draco, unaware of Ginny's visual feasting, bent to retrieve his cloak, tossing the garment over his chilled body. He summoned an empty tumbler and quickly filled it from the sink tap. Turning, he crouched by the pool's edge and offered the cup to Ginny.

When she had murmured her thanks and drunk her fill, he banished the glass and said, "I need to get out of these wet clothes. I would prefer to leave you by the fire." He summoned a massive towel, which he tossed over his shoulder. Extending his hand, he quirked a silver brow, inviting her to rise.

"I...uh, well. If you could just close your eyes."

"Really Weasley. I have seen you starkers already."

"Yes, but that was different." Ginny responded with some heat.

"And how is now differ...Oh for crying out loud!" Draco snapped the towel from his shoulder, held it by the edges and stretched to it fullest. With a final huff, he sealed his eyes. "All better?" He inquired snidely.

There was a rushing of water, a squeak and the towel was plucked from his fingertips. "Is it safe to open my eyes now?" Draco asked in a slightly irritated tone, though he was secretly pleased that Ginny's condition was indeed improving.

"Yes, thank you." The witch sniffed from behind an edge of the length of terry cloth, which she was using to wipe her face. The pair stood frozen for a moment, each pair of eyes bound to the other. Ginny watched several droplets travel the length of Draco's cheek, slowed in their progress by the road bump of scratches she had delivered. Draco was equally focused on the dusting of freckles that danced along Ginny's cheeks and across the bridge of her perky nose. The nose he had tweaked in self-defense only a short time ago. Silence hung over them as thick as the steam that swirled around their bodies.

Ginny was the first to look away. Pointing back at his face with a limp hand she muttered, "You will want to do a healing charm on that."

Draco put questing fingers to his cheek. "Oh yes. When I get changed."

The pair continued to stand in awkward silence, Ginny memorizing the design of the marble flooring and Draco studying the intricate scrollwork of the wallpaper.

"Ah, bugger this!" Draco exclaimed, fiercely opening the bathroom door. Ginny stood in alarmed shock and nearly jumped from her skin when his fist re-entered the chamber carrying a green velvet dressing gown. She heard him growl from the other side of the open panel. "Put this on. I am going to go change clothes. If that snifter of brandy is not empty by the time I get back, I am going to kick your butt!"

Ginny heard him sloshing across the chamber and the sound of the door being firmly shut in his wake.

Ok, this is running way to long and I figure this is as good place as any to stop. I don't want to keep you all waiting for too long. You have been so sweet in your reviews. Thanks loads. I had a great time at the beach. Got a lot of writing done so the next up date should be done quicker. I think I could have handled the situation a bit fast here, but I dunno. What do you guys think? I am always willing to do a re-write. Give me your feed back.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sunshine and Shadows Chapter 7- Cathedral Windows**

**The earlier WARNINGS I have posted will come into play with this chapter. We will experience the horrible crime that was committed upon Ginny. This has been incredibly difficult to write. Rape is a heinous crime, but the rape of a child is beyond forgiveness by mortals. I know my heart holds no compassion or pity for those who would dare touch a child. They are predators. Wild and ruthless beasts that have no use in society and should be killed as soon as they are found guilty of their crimes. I make no apology for my view. I am a woman and a mother. It is as simple as that. You violate a child, you die. End of story. End of threat to other innocent lives.**

**NO HBP SPOILERS!NO HBP SPOILERS!NO HBP SPOILERS!NO HBP SPOILERS!NO HBP SPOILERS!**

**This story will continue despite what we have learned in Half Blood Prince. I will not refer to the last book in any way. If you haven't read book 6, you won't be getting any spoilers here.**

**This chapter is dedicated, much belatedly, to RunWild, who correctly identified the source for my chapter titles as names of quilts. Even the story title is a style of quilt popular with the Amish. Sunshine and Shadows, light and dark, they both make up our lives. Each is necessary for the other to exist just as one defines the other.**

**This particular chapter name is one of my favorite quilts. It is produced by stitching together cunningly folded 8 inch squares, each square completing a window. The window can be filled with any color or design of fabric. The effect is striking. It requires no batting because the material used is folded so many times it becomes quite thick. Also, the back of the quilt is very nice and you wouldn't want to hide all of that stitch work. I started work on a Cathedral Window quilt during my first pregnancy. That child is now eleven years old and the piece is not yet finished. It is not that the quilt is difficult to make, it just takes up a great deal of time and space. I hope to have it finished one day.**

**Now, the disclaimer. If you think I came up with the HP world, you need serious medical attention. I did not make up the characters, however, I did come up with this plot on my own.**

**low growl of vicious Plot Bunny heard here**

**Ok, so it was HIS idea. I just got the job of writing it because he is too short to reach the keyboard.**

Draco sloshed his way along the chill corridor, magical torches flaring in their sconces with his approach. The dripping Slytherin mentally checked off items of necessity as he peeled the sodden shirt, which was feeling like a shroud of ice, from his upper body. He entered the bed chambers Snape had long ago set aside for his use, casting the shirt, quickly followed by the remainder of his clothing, to the floor. A blaze had sprang up, crackling in the fireplace, with his entrance. Locating a tin of Floo Powder, Draco tossed a handful of the stuff into the flames then knelt naked on the hearth. 

Draco Malfoys flat, Bognor Regis. 

The beach side sitting room, tinted in shades of lime by the magic powder, appeared in the fireplace. Fetcher! Draco commanded. 

The stoic elf appeared immediately at his Master's call and Draco wasted no time in reaching through the flames, grabbing the startled creature by his knotted tea towel and pulling him into the chamber. 

Fetcher squealed with indignation. "I is not liking Floo travel, Master Draco! No, I is not!" 

The wizard interrupted the irritated House Elf. "Has anyone attempted the wards tonight?" 

Fetcher answered through a scowl as he brushed soot and ash from his formally immaculate drapery. "Three times, Young Master." One cinder smoked sadly on the tattered Y-fronts topping the elf's head. Draco casually snuffed it out with his thumb. 

"Who?" 

"Masters Goyle and Crabbe." Fetcher replied, his tone once more filled with stiff formality, then he added. "Your Honorable Father." 

"Figures." Draco murmured, resting his forearms on his thighs allowing his hands to dangle between bent knees. 

Fetcher glanced briefly around the dimly lit chamber then nodded, a small crease of concern on his brow. "Snape Manor. We is being at Snape Manor. Pardon my boldness, sir, but is we being in danger?" 

"We?" The naked wizard responded with derision. "Who gave you permission to worry about your personal safety?" He nudged the elf with rough fondness. Fetcher toppled to the hearth with a squeak. "Not danger, you worry wart. Simply hiding in plain sight for a bit." 

Fetcher picked him self up from the warm brick and for the first time noticed Draco's appearance. His eyes bulged even wider than normal then his brows snapped together as if pulled by a purse string. "What happened to you'se face?" Fetcher howled. "Who has been attacking the Young Master, damaging his face, drawing his blood?" Draco suppressed a grin as Fetcher's fingers curved into wicked claws, his green eyes darting about the shadowy chamber in hopes of discovering the culprit. 

"Nothing. Just a few scratches I picked up at the party. I can heal them later. What I want you to..." He was cut off by another outraged shriek. 

"You is naked! And wet! Young Master is not to be sitting around a drafty manor without his clothes!" He chastised his blond charge. Draco was instantly wearing a maroon brocade lounging robe and thick carpet slippers. "Oh, terrible night! Young Master attacked, left wounded and naked. I is being a bad House Elf to let this happen to the Young Master." Tears rolling down his lumpy face, Fetcher pulled mournfully at his ears. 

"You are not at fault and so will not be punishing yourself, is that clear?" Draco informed the grieving elf firmly. With a sniff, Fetcher nodded, firming his upper lip. 

"You'se Lady Mother would be having Fetcher slam his toes in the pocket door. " He whispered hopefully. 

Draco rose to his full, elf intimidating height. "Yes, and Mother would be even more put out that you neglected to dry my hair." 

The Elf flicked his twig like fingers and Draco experienced a familiar wafting of air about his head along with a reprimanding sting at his ear lobe. 

The wizard had the grace to color at the loving discipline and he gave his long time servant a rueful grin. "Point taken. You might as well join the other Elves in the service area. I am quite sure Leo knows you are here by now." 

"What about Young Master's things at the beach house?" Fetcher squeaked sharply, causing Draco to wince. 

"They are of no matter." Draco responded negligently tightening the belt of his robe. "I have several articles of clothing stored here for my use." 

Fetcher twisted the hem of his tea towel, his bare toes curling and uncurling with barely suppressed anxiety. Slowly he gazed up at his master, his eyes filled with worry. "Is you'se in some sorts of trouble, Young Master?" 

'Young Master' sighed loudly but crouched again until he was eye level with the House Elf. "No, I am not in any trouble. I just needed to get away from...everything for a bit. I wanted some place quiet. You should be glad I brought you along instead of fretting about like some old spinster aunt." 

"Oh, Fetcher is ever so glad that Young Master is bringing him to Snape Manor!" The elf replied hastily, patting Draco's brocade covered knee. "I is just not wanting Young Master to be troubled or hurt." 

"Well, I am neither, so hush! Get on to the kitchens and inform Leo that a lady's maid will be required for our other guest." 

Fetcher's eyes narrowed in suspicion but instantly expanded to innocent balls with Draco's glower. "Never you mind." The blonde wizard growled as he rose. 

"Yes, Master Draco, Sir." Fetcher replied just before vanishing with a small _pop._

Retiring to the bathroom, Draco examined the rough furrows left on his cheek by Ginny's nails. His fingers and the back of his hand were stinging as well. He cleaned the wounds and deftly applied a healing charm. As the gashes faded he checked the condition of his teeth. Straight and maddeningly white, as always. Cupping his hand before his mouth, Draco huffed. With a grimace of disgust he reached for a toothbrush. 

Ginny hugged the thick fabric to her chest as the sounds of Dracos exit faded from the air. Dropping the towel, she sighed convulsively as the buttery warmth of the robe settled over her body, the weight of the garment causing her painfully exhausted shoulders to slump. She retrieved the towel and wrapped it about her dripping hair, pulling it taut over her ears, allowing the excess to hang down her back. 

Fog obscured the vanity mirror so Ginny fisted the cuff of her robe and swiped at the glass. The makeup applied by Goyle's Elves had melted like spun sugar leaving her face with a bruised, muddy appearance. Switching on the tap, Ginny cast about for a suitable cloth. 

"Try the little drawer just to your right, dear." Said a sympathetic voice. 

Inwardly Ginny winced. All she needed right now was a chatty vanity glass. "Thank you." She responded politely, because that was how she had been raised. 

"There will be an extensive selection of cleansers and moisturizers located in the area below the basin." The mirror informed Ginny. 

The witch simply nodded, not wanting to encourage the seemingly friendly glass. Her mind was too filled by the events of the night for conversation. She scrubbed until all traces of makeup had been removed before carefully assessing her reflection. Her nose was red as a harvest apple and the swelling about her bloodshot eyes gave her the appearance of someone who had just come off one hell of a weekend bender. With the white towel bound tightly over her forehead and ears she resembled a hung over nun, Ginny observed wryly. The thoughts in her brain were as contradictory as her appearance. Placing her trust, her very life, into the hands of Draco Malfoy was not something that she would have previously considered as healthy. He had always been a right prat while she had known him at Hogwarts, forever flaunting his wealth and physical beauty. The Draco Malfoy of years past had been a person worth avoiding, unless you were a sucker for punishment or very handy with a wand. 

Sounds like me on both points, Ginny mused as she dug through the small drawers and shelves of the vanity. Giving up her search as fruitless, she addressed the mirror. "Will you tell me where I can find a comb or a brush, please?" 

"No need for that, my dear." The mirror replied in its calm voice. "Your lady's maid awaits you in the bed chamber." 

Ginny's eyes flashed to the door reflected in the silver glass. "Oh." She whispered in trepidation. 

"You are safe here, child." The mirror hastened to reassure her. "The Master's wards are strong and no one dares come here save at his behest." 

Once more, Ginny could only nod in silent acceptance. 

"Now," The mirror continued. "Take your ease. Do remember to come back to brush and floss before retiring for the night." 

"I will, and thank you." 

Her hand trembled at bit as she reached for the knob. _Trust Draco! _Remembering Professor Snape's voice, she forced her self to calm. 

A tiny figure wrapped in a green tea towel was waiting politely in the center of the bedroom as the witch entered. Pinching the hem of her garment the creature bobbed a polite curtsey. A bow of tattered lace had been Spell-O-Taped between her ears and a battered pouch was hanging from one narrow shoulder. "I is being Nala, Miss." The Elf informed Ginny in a squeaky, breathless voice. "Leo is saying that you'se is needing a proper Lady's Maid." The little House Elf peered up at Ginny with bulging blue eyes that shimmered with excitement, her joy with the assignment written large on her lumpy gray face. 

Drawing in a steadying breath, the young witch gave the tiny creature a smile. "Yes, I would appreciate your help. My hair could use a bit of a comb out." 

"Oh yes! At once, Miss!" Nala trilled in glee. Skipping to her new Mistress, the Elf took Ginny by the hand and led her to a welcoming cluster of furniture placed inside the merry glow cast by the fireplace. After seeing her charge comfortably seated on the sofa Nala rooted around in her pouch and pulled out a length of ivory cotton and lace. "You is wanting to put this on, Miss." 

Ginny accepted the night gown and blushing slightly, shrugged the heavy velvet robe from her shoulders. She kept the thing belted at her waist until the gown was over her head and yanked down to cover her breasts. Standing, she released the belt and allowed the soft gown to flow to her toes. Nala dismissed the robe with a snap of her fingers and then handed Ginny a heavy balloon shaped goblet filled nearly to the brim with a glittering amber liquid. "Young Master Malfoy says you is to be drinking this before he returns or he will be beating you'es butt." The elf informed the witch. "But I is willing to takes the beating for Young Miss if you'se is preferring." 

Ginny shook her head. "No, that won't really be necessary." 

Nala's shoulders relaxed visibly as she brightened once more. "You is ready for Nala to begin on you'se hair, Miss?" 

"Yes, please." Ginny replied, leaning back on the arm rest and pulling the damp towel from her head. Bending her knees, Ginny tucked her toes into the gown while Nala wrestled a chair closer to the sofa. The Elf climbed into the seat and began running her fingers through the copper spill of hair, humming delightedly under her breath. 

Raising the goblet to her face, Ginny inhaled deeply, allowing the mellow aroma of currents and wood smoke to fill her head. The scent alone was enough to cause the tense muscles of her face and neck to relax and in gratitude, she took a deep draught of the stuff. Her tongue became immediately numb then just as quickly, burst into flames. Her eyes watered as she forced the liquid heat down her throat. The air left her body like a dragon's breath and Ginny felt her lungs seize up. With a loud wheeze, she attempted to re-inflate her chest and felt Nala's bony hand banging her roughly between her shoulder blades. 

"Is best you'se be drinking in sips, I is thinking, Miss." The Elf informed knowledgeably. 

"Hmmm...yes." Ginny managed as her eyes uncrossed. "I thought brandy was supposed to taste good." She coughed, wiping at her streaming eyes. "You'd think these rich tossers would know good liquor from bad." 

"In small sips, Miss. Will be making you'se warm as toast in a bits." Nala finally worked the larger snarls from Ginny's hair and had produced a wide toothed comb. "You is laying back now so's Nala can be drying and combing you'se hair. Such lovely hair, Miss. Nala is wishing House Elves had lovely hair. Not that Nala is complaining. No, no. Nala is being a good House Elf. House Elves is not meant to have lovely hair as is right and proper." 

Ginny settled into the sofa and let the House Elf's squeaky whispers wash over her. Nala was correct, the brandy _was _much tastier when taken in small sips. The witch found that the liquor flowed smoothly over her tongue now and she rolled it about her mouth, absorbing the mingled flavors of fruit and smoke. Deep in her belly a delightful fire was now rising, sending its pleasant warmth to every corner of her body. 

_Mum will be howling right about now,_ Ginny reflected. Guilt rushed in as she imagined her mother's fright while she sat here, being tended like a Pureblood lady, sipping Snape's brandy. Would the Potions Master have informed her family of the current situation or would he have deemed it wiser to allow them to believe their daughter to be in true danger? They had been through so much because of their youngest child, the horrible events of her first year with the accompanying recovery, the fiasco at the Ministry of Magic, her tardiness last night. Would they initially view her absence tonight as an act of rebellion before reality hit them? 

Another sip from the wide glass increased the temperature in the witch's belly and she allowed the alcohol to soothe her troubled mind and spirit. Crapper's potion had kept her brain alert, but she could now feel the effects fading. For this, Ginny was grateful. Nala had left off her murmured commentary on Ginny's rich, copper hair and was now humming softly under her breath. It was a restful tune in spite of its high, squeaky sound. Like the singing of mice, the woman noted as her eyes began to drift shut. 

For long moments there was only the popping of the fire and the gentle lullaby. 

"Ooo!" Nala's humming broke off. "Young Miss's glass is empty. I is filling it again" Plucking the container from Ginny's fingers the Elf jumped from her perch and scampered to the sideboard. "Master Malfoy is saying that you is to be drinking it all." She returned to the sofa holding the now brimming glass cautiously. "Here you is, Young Miss." Nala chirped with pride. 

Ginny eyed the filled bell warily. "He said I was to drink it all?" She demanded. 

"Oh yes." Nala replied, her long ears flapping as she nodded with vigor. "Or he is going to be-" 

"Yes, beating my butt." Ginny finished, accepting the drink and taking another sip. It really _was _rather tasty and the relaxation spreading through her system felt so very good. Severus had said she was to trust Draco. 

There was a light rapping at the chamber door and Nala hastened to answer. Before reaching for the knob the elf smoothed her tea towel and checked the security of her bow. Assured she looked the part of a proper lady's maid, the tiny creature opened the door and dipped in a curtsy. 

"Yes?" She inquired of the young wizard standing just inside the half circle of firelight cast by the open door. 

Draco frowned down at the minute attendant as she stared back with an expression of schooled decorum. "Stand aside Nala, I wish to speak with Miss Weasley." 

Nala bobbed another curtsey. "You is waiting out there while Nala inquires if Young Miss is receiving you'se." Thus said, she closed the door sharply and hurried back to Ginny's couch. "It is the Young Master Malfoy, Miss. Is you receiving guests tonight?" She asked importantly. 

Ginny struggled to keep her mouth pressed into a tight line, but the brandy smoldering in her system and little Nala's endearingly formal stance nearly cost the witch the battle. Turning her face to hide twitching lips, Ginny stated as calmly as possible, "Yes Nala, bid him enter." 

With an excited trill, the Elf dashed once more to the door, pausing to repeat the perfecting of her appearance, and released the latch. Making another curtsey, she stepped to the side. "Young Miss is seeing you now, sir." 

Draco entered the chamber, a scowl firmly entrenched upon his brow. He glowered at the giddy House Elf as she scampered to a chair and indicated that he should sit. He had just taken his ease when Nala summoned a soft ottoman, nearly snatching the wizard from his chair by his ankles, and placed the cushion beneath his feet. A muffled snort of laughter pulled the pewter blast of his gaze from the fawning Elf to the vision of garnet and white curled upon the sofa. 

Ginny's hair tumbled over her shoulders in a flaming river and enclosed her small, pinched face in a glowing frame of curling wisps. It turned the fire's gleam back upon it self causing the wizard to believe the gleaming tresses could even rival the flames in their heat. Her brown eyes were now downcast, seemingly intent on the contents of her cup, but Draco detected the faintest quirk hovering about her lips, at his expense, no doubt. The gown she wore was a pristine white, save where it glowed with a warm reflection of the fire's hue. He noted that the skin on her face was blotchy while the area surrounding her eyes was puffy and tight. Well, she had been through one hell of an evening and Draco found himself pleased simply be able to view her alive and whole. 

Nala, her ministrations to the wizard complete had scampered once more to her Lady's side where she stood on tiptoe and whispered to Ginny behind one skinny hand. 

The witch looked up and caught Draco's sterling gaze. She cleared her throat before asking softly, "Would you care for a drink, Draco?" 

"That would be most pleasant, thank you." He replied, pushing him self up higher in his seat. 

Nala squeaked with joy and dashed to the sideboard. As she carefully transported the filled glass to his hand, Draco inclined his head in Ginny's direction. "You are feeling somewhat improved?" He grimaced at his cool, sequestered tone and tried again. "How are you feeling, Ginny?" 

With a slight shrug, she replied. "Ok... I guess. I am not hurt anywhere." She glanced at the dancing flames unable to hold his penetrating gaze. "I am still a bit frightened." She heard him shift in his chair and looked once more in his direction. "Not of you, really. Just this whole...mess. My folks are going to be terrified. I just wish I could let them know that I am all right." 

Draco rolled the belly of the glass between his palms, warming its contents and giving his body something to do besides shuffle about in his chair like a guilty first year. "Severus may choose to inform them of your safety, while leaving out the more- distasteful events of your evening." He took a long pull of his drink, swirling the liquid about his mouth before swallowing. Ginny observed in amazement that Draco didn't collapse into a coughing fit. Obliviously he had been drinking the potent brew for some time to become so accustomed to its searing heat. 

Nala returned to her perch behind the witch and began to once more pull her comb through the shining mane on Ginny's head. With a gentle shrug the woman leaned away from the Elf. "That will be all, Nala." She said softly. 

"Yes Miss." The Elf replied. She gathered her tools and vanished. Ginny sipped her brandy and peeked at Draco through her lashes. 

"You healed your face." She noted then frowned at the stupidity of stating the obvious. 

"Yes." Draco responded, attending faithfully to the drink in his hands. The silence lingered like smoke over a battlefield, the haze being the sole reminder of prior violence. The quiet pair sipped their brandy, each wondering how to cleave the mist that surrounded them and separated them from each other. 

Ginny was the first to speak. "Your father said that I was a gift for you. That you had asked for me... Crabbe and Goyle said..." 

The wizard sighed and raked a hand through the white spill of his hair. "I am sorry." He stated with some heat. 

Ginny's mouth fell wide and then she gulped. "What?" 

Setting his drink aside, Draco placed his slippered feet on the floor and propped his elbows on his knees. He rubbed his cheeks wearily. "I am sorry. This is all my fault. If I had not paid you so much attention, had not come to see you today, THIS," he made a sweeping gesture in her direction. "would not have happened to you." 

"Then, it was true? What they said?" Ginny's voice cracked as it increased in volume. "You TOLD them to kidnap me?" 

"No, well not in so many words." Draco growled. "I just planted the idea. How was I to know they would take me seriously?" 

The witch felt her anger returning, flaring up anew and finding a target close at hand. Rising to her feet she stomped to where Draco waited, his silver eyes narrowing at her approach. 

"What did you say to those cretins?" She demanded, planting her self squarely in front of the seated wizard. 

"When I left you today at the shop, I led them to believe we had shagged, all right?" He stood, towering over her. "I stupidly hinted that I would enjoy having you around when-" He bit off his sentence as her face flashed red. 

"Pansy was on the rag." Ginny finished for him, the hurt caused by his words filling her cinnamon eyes. 

Startled by her knowledge, Draco flinched. "Yes." He whispered. Lifting a hand, he tenderly stroked her cheek, capturing a tear as it spilled from her lashes. " I just wanted to get them away from you. I did not think they would take me seriously. I did not think those two would really try something like this. I just did not think." Cupping his fingers about the back of her head, he pressed her face to his chest. He wrapped his other arm gently about her waist and held her lightly. "I am just so very sorry, Ginny." 

She wanted to be angry! She wanted to rail and scream at him for the terror she had endured. She wanted to make him hurt like she had hurt, to feel alone and betrayed. Yet, she twisted her fingers into the folds of his dressing gown, inhaling the dark scent of his body. The tender way he held her now soothed her prior fear and the genuine regret in his voice caused her anger to drift away like mist. It had always been this way between the two of them, Ginny mused. Through all of the hexing, curses and jinxes, there had always been, for them, a level of trust that had never been spoken but always recognized. Others at the magical school had never understood the pleasure, the pure joy, that spell slinging brought to the seemingly bitter combatants. With each hex, their bond of trust had grown stronger, each one knowing and believing that the one would never willingly do the other harm. 

Scrubbing her nose against the fabric covered chest, she murmured. "S'kay. I forgive you. You made a mistake. You didn't mean it." 

Draco pulled far enough away that he had a clear view of her face. What he found there caused his heart to stop briefly before pounding into life once more. Her tiny, pinched features were relaxed and soft, her chocolate eyes filled with sweet forgiveness. Her lips spread in a wobbly smile. "Though if I had my wand, YOU would be the one on the rag! What a filthy thing to say. You have no idea of what it is like when-" 

He silenced her with a chaste kiss before breathing over her lips. "Thank you." 

She blinked stupidly for a moment then whirled away with a small giggle. Staggering to her lounge, she retrieved her brandy from the side table and poured a generous amount down her throat. 

Draco advanced, his hand raised in warning. "Hey, take it easy with that stuff. Not only is it powerful, it is very expensive." He plucked the glass from her fingers, examining the level of the contents. "You have imbibed only have a snifter and you are already tipsy." 

"Oh," Ginny breathed, plopping her head down upon a convenient pillow. "That is my second helping. Nala said you wanted me to drink it all." 

"Not the whole bloody bottle!" Draco exclaimed as he strode to the side board and grasping the bottle, held it up to the light. "You were supposed to relax. Not melt." 

Closing her eyes, Ginny sighed. "I am relaxed. I am very relaxed and warm. Come sit down and talk to me." She patted the sofa cushion. 

Cautiously Draco approached the reclining witch. "Ginny, what was the potion you were given tonight? You said earlier that it was a calming potion." 

"Yes, Crapper made it." The witch responded dreamily. "She said it would keep my fears away. Sharpen my mind. Help me to remember. But I don't want to remember." 

Draco perched on the edge of the sofa near the curve of her waist. "I have never heard of a calming potion with those particular properties." He murmured, his gaze traveling over Ginny's relaxed face, down the curve of her throat to where it vanished beneath the frothy white of her gown collar. 

Ginny frowned, but did not open her eyes. "It didn't really work like she said. I was still very scared. Especially when your father showed up." 

Draco froze. "My father? He was with you...before?" 

"Yes, he watched." 

He turned and gripped her gently by the shoulders. Her eyes popped open and she took in his worried countenance. 

"He watched?" Draco prodded softly. 

Ginny averted her eyes, shame returning to cover her with its filthy memory. She nodded mutely. 

"He watched what, Ginny?" His voice was rough with trepidation. "What did he see?" 

"Everything!" She hissed, looking at him fully. "He saw every damn part of me! The House Elves had to 'prepare'," She sneered the word. "me for you and he sat there and watched the whole. Damn. Thing." 

Draco strained against the tightness that gathered in his throat. His next words were growled. "Did he touch you?" 

"Yes." 

Draco threw himself for the sofa with an anguished howl. "NOOOOOO! Oh gods! No!" 

Ginny lay frozen in confused fear for a second before his meaning set in. She rose and quickly crossed to where the tormented wizard paced angrily before the fire. Touching his arm she spoke over his ranting. "No, Draco! I don't mean touched me like 'that'. I mean, he touched me with his hand. He ran it over my arm and my leg. That's all." He ceased his furious cursing and looked at her, his face lighting up with hope. "Well, he did touch my breast, but that's all. Really." When his face darkened again, she trembled. "I didn't mean to make you think he raped me. I am sorry. I didn't think..." When he smiled softly, she relaxed. "So, we're even. People screw up, ok?" 

Placing his hands on her slender arms, Draco rubbed down their length before reaching her hands. "That is all? He did no more?" Leaning forward, he peered into her face, seeking the truth in her eyes. 

"He hit me." Ginny squeaked in a tiny voice and watched as the muscles in his jaws clenched. 

"He will never touch you again, Ginny. I promise. Should he ever seek to do you harm, I will kill him." Ginny's mouth opened in a small O of horrified belief before she closed it quickly. 

"But why? I mean he is your dad. I am nothing to you." 

"Shut up, Ginny, before you say something really stupid." Draco informed her roughly, the look in his eyes was one of hardened steel. 

She studied his expression, the tightness in his cheeks, the hard line of his mouth, but most of all, the determination that flashed like summer lightening in the stormy darkness of his eyes. Her heart stopped briefly before pounding into life once more. 

"You like me." She whispered in shock. 

He recoiled slightly before covering himself once more in Pureblood smugness. "You see, you did say something stupid. Do not say I did not warn you." He released her fingers and returned to his drink where he helped himself to a large mouthful of scalding courage. Ginny advanced on his rear, and flanked him when he would have retreated to the door. 

"Oh no, mister. You are not leaving just yet. Tell me the truth, if you are wizard enough. You like me, don't you?" 

Draco glared hard at the tiny red-head but she met his gaze unflinchingly. Huffing into his cup, he took another pull, never releasing her eyes. He swallowed. "Yes. Are you happy? I LIKE you." Somehow he managed to spit the admission out like poison. 

Ginny's brow crinkled and her lips were pulled down like a strained bow. He could see her chin quivering even in the dim light. She shook her head. "Does it make _you _happy?" She inquired in a strained whisper. 

He managed to place his snifter upon the table without shattering the piece. Gathering her into his arms he held her tightly and was rewarded by the feel of her arms sliding around him, pulling him close. "Ginny," He muttered against her hair. "It is tearing me to pieces." 

They held on to one another as the fire continued its merry burning, charring away the dried fuel in the grate, but leaving the sweet odor of its existence. Draco softly stroked the witch's hair where it tumbled down her back, occasionally letting tiny kisses rain down on her crown. He could feel her hands as they moved slowly over his back, her fingers pressing into the skin through the heavy fabric, as if she were studying the contours of his frame, memorizing him by touch alone. 

The chiming of the mantle clock alerted them to the lateness, or the earliness of the hour and they slowly pulled apart. Draco caressed the curve of her cheek and Ginny leaned into his touch, her eyes drifting slowly closed. 

"You are tired, baby." Draco informed her in a whisper. "Get into bed. We will talk more in the morning." Ginny shook her head. 

"I don't want to be alone just yet. Don't leave me, please." She pleaded with her voice and her sweet, melting brown eyes. 

"Ginny, you need to sleep. Hell, I need to sleep." 

"So, sleep here!" She insisted, her words becoming high and panicky. 

Sighing, he looked around the chamber, his eyes attempting to avoid the four-poster. "Ok, I can enlarge the sofa. I will sleep there and you can have the bed." 

Ginny nodded eagerly and slipped from his hands. "I, uh, well...I have to pop into the loo. Brush my teeth and all. You will be here when I get back, right?" He heard the fear of abandonment in her voice. 

"I will be here." He assured her and watched as she made her way to the bathroom and closed the door behind her. 

With a muttered curse that would have made Voldemort proud, Draco raked his hands over his scalp, digging his fingers deeply into the silver flow. He released a groan and with a resigned sigh, summoned Fetcher. 

Ginny returned to find Draco crouched over the fire. He was poking up the blaze with a long metal rod and adding logs to the grate. The room would remain warm until daylight. She quickly climbed onto the high bed and scrambled into the middle of the mattress. Pulling the covers to her chin she snuggled down into the softness. "Good night, Draco." She called over her shoulder. 

Draco stood with his back to the fire, his magnified sleeping cot before him, but his mind was on the witch currently swaddled in moss green satin. Her gently whispered 'good night' hung on the air and he could feel himself react as if she had actually breathed the words upon his skin. 

"Good night, Ginny." Tucking his wand under the pillow provided by Fetcher, Draco stretched out upon his bed, tucked his hands behind his head and stared at the wavering shadows cast by the flames, dance across the ceiling. 

A discordant squeaking woke Draco only a few hours later. He sleepily eyed the pearlescent magentas and blues of the advancing dawn as his sluggish brain attempted to pinpoint the source of his waking. The disturbing creak came once more, this time accompanied by the hurried static of flailing limbs over cotton. 'I know that sound,' Draco mourned, levering him self up to peer over the back of his transformed couch. Ginny Weasley, painted a golden peach by the morning's watery light, twisted and turned slowly upon the large bed. Her movements had displaced the duvet along with the top sheet. Nala's bag had obviously not included knickers. Her night gown was riding up her thighs and the wizard hastily averted his eyes as she bent both knees and pressed her heels hard into the mattress as if in attempt to dislodge a phantom attacker. 

"Please don't!" The tormented witch whimpered, her voice high and childlike. "It hurts!" 

"Bloody hell, no!" The wizard growled, his stomach rolling with sick fear. He rose and moved quickly to Ginny's bed side, his hand already outstretched to shake her into wakefulness. 

"I want my mum." Tears were squeezed from behind her tightly clenched eyes as she sobbed the words in a pained whisper. 

Draco hesitated, his fingers hanging over Ginny's twitching shoulder. An idea was rising up in his mind, a purpose even more damning than the one that had brought her to this place with him. He had the training. He had the skill. Yet..., did he have the right to... Even as he recoiled from the possible consequence his actions could have on his tenuous relationship with the red haired witch, he summoned his wand with a bitter tasting "_Accio!"_

The slender rod impacted his open palm with a stinging slap. A minuscule tic along his jaw belied the blond's seemingly cold facade as he braced himself on the heavy wooden pillar supporting one corner of the bed. Through clenched teeth, Draco uttered the spell that could possibly damn him for the remainder of his life, if not for all eternity. 

_"Legilimens!"_

A nauseating swirl of sound and images assaulted the questing wizard as he connected with Ginny's sub conscience. His father slugging it out ungracefully with the lanky Arthur Weasley, teasing laughter and a young girl's crying as she pulled the red drapes around her bed. A worn leather book, a shabby quill, looping girlish penmanship left being by a tiny, freckled hand. Words, wet, yet black as old blood, rising up on a yellowed page. 

_Hello Ginny Weasley. My name is Tom._

The freckled hands reappeared, this time wrapped around the neck of a limp rooster. More words, this time painted one stone in vivid, blood red. 

_Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever._

There was a sibilant hissing, like steam escaping from a leaking pipe and then Draco was running along a dank corridor. Water dripped from the low ceiling and oozed in thick rivers of green down the moss covered walls. Ahead was a weak gleam of light. The wet air seeped easily through the thin jumper covering his upper body and Draco glanced down to see small feet clad in worn, sensible leather oxfords splashing awkwardly through puddles and tripping over broken stones. 

Then he was screaming. 

His body was being torn apart! A grinding, scalding pain filled his lower belly while the suffocating weight of his attacker pressed down on him, pushing his tender back repeatedly into the unforgiving stone. Cruel fingers dug at his scalp and pinched at the small buds of flesh on his chest. Attempts to break free were futile as the hands that battered upon the black clad monster were small and freckled. 

_You said you loved me, Ginny. I have been alone for so long._

Draco shrieked as teeth sank into the juncture of his shoulder and neck and the searing agony in his lower regions exploded as his attacker increased his movements. 

_You are mine! We will be together, forever. My little Ginny-girl! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..._

The horrible sound of completion faded away and the pressing weight was lifted. Though tears blurred his vision, Draco could make out the face of the assailant as he pulled free of the small, cringing body below him. Eyes of startling, icy blue were set in a face of breathtaking perfection. The cheeks were high and well formed, blending into a jaw that most would call aristocratic and fine. Black hair, sweaty and tangled from his exertions fell over the pale, flawless brow and a smile of satisfied cruelty curled the sweetly pinked lips that were now tinged darker by the blood of his hysterically sobbing victim. Around this terrifyingly lovely form there hovered a thin, blue nimbus of light. 

_Are you hurting? What is you pain to me? Have you any idea what I have endured these many years? Here, alone. But no more. You will be with me always._

A cold hand stroked the snarled, crimson hair from Draco's face. 

_Shhh. Don't cry, Ginny-girl. Your pain will soon end. You will be rewarded for you love to me. Just think, my sweet child, you go to your death with the precious knowledge that your soul will live on in me, Lord Voldemort!_

And then he was alone, his aching body racked with tormented sobbing. Tears of pain and shame scalded the abused skin of his face as water lapped about his waist. A pleated plaid skirt floated sadly around his body as hands frantically scrubbed at the burning flesh between his thighs. A tiny fist appeared above the water, the fingers curled about the dripping remains of their knickers, the white cotton smeared pink with their blood. With a howl of anguish, the under things were flung away to land with a loud _plop _in the middle of the black tarn. They floated there for a moment before sinking beneath the reflected frown of Salazar Slytherin. 

_Filthy! Stupid, stupid, stupid! Filthy..._

He heard himself mutter the words as the hands vanished into the water and began to tear and claw at the tender skin of their thighs and vagina. The hysterical scrubbing and scouring only served to increase their physical pain, giving their emotional anguish some breathing room. 

_Filthy, stupid little girl!_

The only sounds in the vast chamber was their quiet, sobbing self-flagellation and the splashing of the oily water as they attempted to wash away the culpability and the shame. A loud, sucking hiss pulled tear-filled eyes up. A massive, scaled back rose from the center of the pool causing the water to fold and rise in a wave that washed over their face, pushing them back hard against the stone shore. The huge body continued its ascent even as it dove deep into the inky depths, water sheeting from its slick, gleaming scales. The image filled their vision as they scuttled backwards, away form the danger. 

_I see you have met my lovely pet. Quite impressive, wouldn't you agree? And effective._

Curling into a tight ball, they tried to hide from the one who approached, his boots clicking softly over the moss speckled floor. 

_How sweet! You have bathed for me? My precious Ginny-girl. Is it any wonder I love you so?_

Hands, cruel and hard gripped their shoulders. 

_Come and show me how much you love me in return._

"NOOOOOOOO!" 

Draco wrenched himself free of the spell, staggering and falling heavily to the carpet. Choking on his sobs, his back arched in agony as he dry heaved repeatedly. Blinded by his tears, his only thought was to escape the room, leave before Ginny woke and found out what he had seen, what he had witnessed of her assault, her... 

Rape. 

Hateful, hate filled word. 

His hope of revenge had failed. He had failed her. It had not been a man who had taken her sweet innocence, but a true monster. 

Crawling weakly away from the bed, Draco fought to keep back his heartbroken cries, but they leaked from his lips as swiftly as the tears fell from his eyes. "She was a baby, damn him! A baby!" He jerked him self to full alert when he felt a gentle hand pressing down on his head, stroking the tangled, blond strands from his face. Draco sat back on his heels, raking his hands over his eyes, swiping the sleeve of his robe across his dripping nose before looking up into the tired, tormented visage of the Potions Master. 

The dark wizard sighed heavily then looked at the young witch that still slept, tossing upon the bed. "And now you know." 

**I can't write any more just now. It has been horrible for me. I had to put in this portion to bring the story to its climax, as it were. There is still a good bit more to go, but hopefully the worst part is over. I only hope I don't loose any readers because some feel I have slipped into gratuitous violence. Please don't think that of me! The next chapter will be much easier. We will learn of Severus' history with Ginny and just why Draco feels it is required of him to marry Pansy.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sunshine and Shadows- Chapter 8**

**Tall Mountains and Deep Valleys**

The title should tell you everything. And no, I do not own the PotterVerse. Anything you recognize is the property of the lovely JKR. This story is not HBP compliant. No spoilers are contained within its lines.

Ignoring the outstretched hand, Draco managed to get to his feet though his knees refused to fully extend. Bracing his hands upon his slanted thighs the blond struggled to breathe.

"Mr. Mal..." Severus hesitated before continuing softly. "Draco -"

Cold, burning eyes glared at the Potions Master through a veil of tangled silver, while one hand sliced the air to point an accusing finger.

"You _knew_!" The words rolled from his tight throat in a growl and Draco's face twisted as he wrestled with the anger and agony the knowledge brought.

Professor Snape slowly withdrew the proffered hand, his own features drawn and tired with more than the weight of his years. "A bit." he admitted with a leaden shrug of his broad shoulders, his voice low and rough as gravel. "Not all and even then it was some many months after the event in the Chamber."

"Event?" Draco wanted to scream and laugh and run until his heart exploded.

"Dammit, Draco! What word would you have me use?" Severus hissed in frustration.

"It was _rape_, you...cold-hearted...bastard!" Draco panted, his body swaying drunkenly as he rose to his full height. He swiped the hair from his face and glanced over his shoulder to the bed where Ginny continued to toss restlessly.

"She never admitted as much, but we all had our suspicions." Severus' voice brought Draco's attention to his long time friend and teacher. The wizard's fathom less black eyes were fixed upon the young witch, compassion laying oddly on his face, like tinsel on a tombstone. "She refused to speak of her abduction once Potter freed her from the chamber but her wounds screamed aloud the truth for her."

Ginny whimpered in her troubled sleep and Snape flowed to her bedside to lay a comforting hand to her cheek. Without lifting his eyes from her strained countenance he addressed his young friend. "I was able to identify the individual components of the potion Miss Weasley received so I am at a loss as to why she is reacting in this manner."

"How?" Draco inquired, his voice still numb with shock.

Severus glanced up, his thin lips curling at the corners in the barest of smiles. "When I tasted her, Draco. Surely, you do not think me the type to engage in that sort of display merely for the benefit of the maddened crowd, nor have I long harbored a secret lusting for this young woman."

The blond nodded, scraping his forearm across his running nose.

Severus grimaced and pointed to the bathroom. "Clean your self up, Mr. Malfoy. When you return, remember to bring your manners into my presence with you." This said, the wizard continued his study of Ginny, a frown of puzzlement on his thin features.

Draco scowled but removed him self from the chamber to splash water over his fevered face and blow his nose. When he returned to Ginny's bedside he found the Potions Master perched upon the mattress edge holding the witch's wrist lightly in his fingers. "Her pulse is slightly accelerated, but that is not as expected. The potion she swallowed was perfectly brewed and should have left her calm and alert." With a frown the older wizard continued. "With that draft, Miss Weasley should have been able to isolate and lock away her greatest fears and horrifying experiences. However, while it would seem the isolation has taken place, the events and their associated emotions have been brought to the forefront of her mind, increasing her anxiety this evening and bringing on a form of panic induced shock."

Draco nodded in agreement while privately bristling at Snape's cold and clinical assessment of Ginny's situation. "Perhaps an additional spell has been laid over the potion?" He inquired in a mockingly detached tone.

"Do not attempt a feign indifference with me, Draco." Snape said drily, dropping a slender, black brow in quiet reprimand. "I know you too well. Either choose your stance and speak boldly or remain neutral _and_ silent, as is usually been your wont. As to a spell, I could detect none upon her."

Malfoy had the grace to color under his mentor's chiding and clearing his throat, looked to the pale, sleeping occupant of the large bed.

"Should we wake her?" Draco probed. "Her dreams are less than pleasant." He held him self rigid against the shudder that threatened, memories of Ginny's nightmare clotting the blood around his heart.

Shaking his black head, Severus rose. "I have placed an _Orpheus Rosa _charm on her. She will experience no more dreams and will wake soon." He crossed the chamber to the wide French doors which opened soundlessly at his approach. Severus stepped out onto the balcony gesturing for Draco to follow.

The Autumn sun was rising above the treetops, its glow suffusing the grounds with a sleep roused blush. Birds were beginning to call one to another from the trees and shrubs, their song floating to the wizards on the freshening breeze. Draco felt the naked skin of his torso pebble with chill and summoned the discarded robe from his make-do bed. Shrugging into its warmth the young wizard muttered, "This has been a very long night."

Professor Snape regarded his guest sourly. "If you had but released Miss Weasley into my care, your evening would have been greatly shortened." Turning to stare once more at the arriving daylight the Potions Master snarled, "What WERE you thinking, Draco?"

"There in lies the rub, Severus." Draco responded bitterly, tucking his chilled hands into the deep pockets of his dressing gown. "I was not thinking." Casting a glance to where Ginny now rested peacefully, he continued. "Or, at least, not thinking clearly. From the second I saw her lying there on that damned tray I ..." He stopped, lowering his head with remorse.

"Wanted her." Snape closed Draco's dangling sentence.

"Yes," the blond whispered, then louder, "No!" He spun on his friend, gray eyes storming. "Not like that. As you, who claim to know me so well, should realize."

"What I _realize_," the older wizard hissed, "is that your risked the safety, if not the life, of an innocent woman for your own ego!" He did not pause with Draco's affronted gasp, but advanced onward. "Is it not enough that you have that twit, Parkinson, in your web, but you must entangle Miss Weasley, a _known enemy _of your family, as well?" Pinching the bridge of his prominent nose, Severus screwed his eyes tightly shut. "The moment you displayed the slightest interest in Miss Weasley, you marked her as a target."

"I know."

Snape's eyes cracked slightly. He looked to his young friend but said nothing.

Draco stood, unflinching, before his former Head of House, his expression not one of shame, but of accountability, remorse and acceptance of his culpability showing clearly in the soft shale of his eyes. "All I have now _is _Pansy." He snorted and gestured back to the open door and the bed that lay within. "Do you blame me for wanting something sweet, for grasping this one pure moment to sustain me for the rest of my life?" Draco turned his face to the sunrise. "If I could just have had her good will, have had her think of me with some degree of kindness, it would have fed my heart for a long, long time." The blond wizard brooded for a short time. "I have ruined that now, I suppose."

"If you wish to raise yourself in Miss Weasley's eye what better course than to rid your self of Parkinson, declare your self a supporter of Dumbledore and tell your bastard father to go to hell dragging his monster lord with him!"

"I cannot do that, Severus!" Draco responded hotly. "I fully intend to survive this war and I cannot do that by declaring sides." He ignored the Potions Masters sniff of distain. "I will bring the House of Malfoy back from ruin and I need Pansy's fortune to succeed. If Father had only excerised some caution when flinging his gold at Voldie's feet I might not need to bed the bitch to gain the galleons."

The dark master snorted bitterly, casting his companion a stinging glance. The loud snap of his finger and thumb was immediately echoed by the crisp _pop_ of Leo's appearing.

The elf bowed low. "You'se usual breakfast, Master Snape, sir?"

"For two." The Master replied in his familiar, clipped tones. He looked at Draco. "Though why I feel moved to nourish your sorry ass is, at the moment, a mystery." Professor Snape folded his lanky frame easily into one of the four wrought iron chairs that were placed around a timeless metal table. He arranged the many folds of his elegant black robes with a casual efficiency that belied his humble beginnings, and gestured that Draco join him.

Leo returned, served the pair with seasoned skill and left them to their repast. A thought filled silence joined the wizards for their meal, the empty space it occupied absorbing the songs of the birds and their handmade counterparts of cutlery upon fine bone china. It fed, not upon the rashers and eggs, but upon the unvoiced apprehension and disquiet of the two men, until finally, picking its teeth with a bone sliver of pain and refusing to be ignored any longer, belched aloud.

"He truly raped her?" Professor Snape inquired in a low voice, his eyes fixed firmly upon his knife's business of reducing his meal to its most basic molecular structure.

Draco swallowed a mouthful of scalding Black Rino. Setting the delicate cup aside he dabbed his lips with a linen napkin, but instead of folding the cloth as he had been trained to do since leaving the nursery, he fisted the piece within his fingers until the skin along his palm burned from the pressure. "Yes." He admitted in a firm whisper.

Severus' brow furrowed. He lay his silverware neatly across his plate, the knife and fork, precisely parallel with each other. "The entity Miss Weasley encountered in the Chamber of Secrets was the memory of Tom Riddle's sixteen year old self, not the actual, physical person. _He _could have not truly been there in solid, physical form." Snape argued quietly, as if attempting to convince him self. "I, or Albus, would have sensed him."

"He was solid enough to take Potter's wand, Severus." Draco pointed out and watched as his friend's eyebrow slanted in a shocked and silent, _"Eh?"_

"Like you, I had my sources. I gained more information walking the corridors of Hogwart's than I ever learned in any class room. Yours being the exception, of course." Pushing his chair from the table, Draco stretched his legs out in front of him and crossed them at the ankles, his features tired and sad. "He was real enough to... do her damage. I could feel him on her and," Draco felt the bile rising to his mouth but forced him self to continue. "in her. She fought! Oh gods, she fought. But she was too small. Damn him to dust, she was just a kid! A baby! How could anyone..." Scrubbing his face roughly with his fingertips, the blond wizard faded into brooding quiet.

Severus waited throughout several heartbeats before speaking, his voice pitched low, as if breaking a confidence. "I went to her." Draco gaze shot up, held fast by the Potions Master's words and the haunted memory behind the wizard's black eyes.

"After she was freed from the Chamber?"

The Potions Master nodded slowly. "While she was yet in the Infirmary, I went to her." The elder man took a brief sip of his coffee before continuing. "She had been placed in an isolated section of the ward, sealed off from the others, as if she had some horrible disease that might contaminate them. It offended me that she had been shut away, though Poppy would insist it was for the girl's welfare, as if shielding her from the eyes of the school would ease her suffering or stop the rumors from flying. Bah! It only confirmed in the child's head what she believed the other's were thinking and whispering, that _there_ _was something to hide! _She had cause to feel shame." Severus shook his black mane at the memory and the bitter taste it still brought to his mouth.

"I found her crying behind the curtains that had been pulled about her cot, the sheet shoved so deeply into her mouth to stifle the sounds that she could have easily choked herself."

Draco shifted uncomfortable in his seat, the idea of the Child Ginny suffering so would have delighted the heart of the Child Draco and he hated him self for the person he had been. "What did you do?" He inquired of his companion, wanting Snape's voice to quell the squirming in his gut.

"I told Miss Weasley the story of a young man, bitter and twisted, who gave him self over to evil on the promise of power and knowledge; how this person lived daily with the infection of decay gnawing at his body, into his very soul. Even when he understood the darkness and the terrible work that would be required of him, this foolish boy chose to continue embracing the foul goal that had been set for him." Severus paused. "I spoke this cautionary tale so that she could see the difference between offering one's self up to ruin and having it visited upon you unasked." He stopped and took a long pull at his coffee cup, grimacing at the now tepid brew. He tossed the contents over the balcony rail and refilled his cup, tipping the pot in Draco's direction in silent question.

The blond wizard slid his cup across the table. "What did she have to say about your poorly veiled anti-hero?"

Severus shrugged behind his cup. "She kissed my knuckles and said that it would be all right in the end. Then she fell asleep holding my hand."

"You risked a great deal by sharing your story with the Baby Weasel." Draco insisted. "Were you not concerned about the possibility of her repeating the tale to her house mates?"

Severus rested his fathom less black gaze on his young friend. "Who said the story was mine, Draco?"

Silence returned as the two wizards studied one another. Finally, Draco looked away. "Well, did it work, your tale?"

"I would like to think it gave her some strength in the years that followed." Severus answered with a sigh. "Over time, she regained her sparkle, even if it was somewhat dimmed by the constant erosion of gossip, knowing glances and name calling." His mouth hardened into a thin line.

Draco swirled the murky contents of his cup, his mind on what he had just learned. "Did you ever approach her again?"

The Professor's head reared back, the underlying menace of the question striking him deeply. Before he could form a reply a firm voice spoke from behind the seated wizards.

"No, he did not. But he did let me sleep in his chambers nearly every night during my third year."

Both men rose quickly, turning to see Ginny Weasley stride out on to the terrace, her cheeks flaming and her eyes shooting amber fire. The fullness of her nightgown and robe concealed her intent so Draco was unprepared when her bony knuckles flew into his nose with the force of a wild Bludger. With a crash of china and silver he landed atop the breakfast table, blood flying from his damaged face.

Ginny shook her throbbing hand and glared at the downed Slytherin. "YOU," she snarled. "Are a sneaking, nosey low-life!" As if spotting the Potions Master for the first time her face broke into a sunny smile. "Hello, Severus! Have you more of this breakfast? I am famished."

I had not intended on ending this chapter here but I have had so many people emailing and demanding that I up date, I was beginning to fear for my life. I know it is not what you have all been waiting for after so long but I have been so busy with life and medical issues that this tale and Dark Coil have really been taking a back seat to everything else. I promise to do better since most of the above mentioned issues have been settled, not to my satisfaction, but they are better. I have had no beta on this chapter. I have gone over it time and time again and I can only hope that I have caught all the errors.


	9. Chapter 9

ï»¿ font face"Times New Roman" color"#000000" /font   
b Sunshine and Shadows- Chapter 9 /b   
b The Morning Star /b 

The gentle shifting of the mattress beneath her had started the wake-up process. When Severus had risen, he caused Ginny to roll slightly to her back, freeing her from the black void of dreamless sleep to the gray fog of a light doze. She floated on a mist of warmth and comfort, the occasional errant breeze kissing her nose with chill lips and breathing the morning aromas of dew, grass, and loam. Ginny grinned in her half sleeping state and wriggled deeper into the blankets. She stretched and sighed as the cotton sheets shifted over her legs like warm milk and the mellow tones of Severus and Draco's voices drifted to her ears. It was as if she listened to a pair of finely crafted cellos, played by masterly hands, their harmonies rising and falling, breaking apart and then rejoining, the lyrics having no meaning for her at the moment as she was lost in the music.

Behind her closed lids, the gray fog melted away and was replaced by the rose tinted, yellow gleam of morning sunlight. The wizards' conversation was becoming more distinct now, and Ginny stretched mightily, knowing she should rise, so it took her a second before she realized that i she /i was the topic of discussion. Coming from a litter that prided itself on subterfuge, Ginny snuggled the thick duvet to her chin and listened intently.

She silently cheered, her face filling up with a smug grin, as Severus took Draco to task for placing her in such danger, but she instantly sobered when Draco murmured his sincere agreement. As he continued, Ginny experienced a melting sensation in her lower belly, and the tenderness she felt towards the former Slytherin from the previous evening returned in full.

"Do you blame me for wanting something sweet, for grasping this one, pure moment to sustain me for the rest of my life?" Draco's voice was filled with hunger, and Ginny surprised herself by sighing at the sound.

"If I could just have had her good will, have had her think of me with some degree of kindness, it would have fed my heart for a long, long time. I have ruined that now, I suppose."

i No! /i Ginny argued internally. i I will let you make it up to me! /i She pushed the pillow's fluffy edge from around her ear and strained to hear Severus' response.

"If you wish to raise yourself in Miss Weasley's eye, what better course than to rid yourself of Parkinson, i Yes! /i declare yourself a supporter of Dumbledore, i Yes, Yes! /i and tell your bastard father to go to hell dragging his monster lord with him." i YES, oh YES! /i 

Her bubble of elation popped when Draco responded in hot anger. "I cannot do that Severus! I fully intend to survive this war, and I cannot do that by declaring sides. I will bring the House of Malfoy back from ruin, and I need Pansy's fortune to succeed. If Father had only exercised some caution when flinging his gold at Voldie's, feet I might not need to bed the bitch to gain the Galleons."

Ginny frowned. She never figured Draco for a fence percher and was disappointed to hear him take, to her way of thinking, such a cowardly position. She could almost pity Pansy, being locked into a loveless union based on monetary need.

Almost.

Perhaps she could talk to Draco and help him see reason. If he cared for her as much as he let on, then maybe he would listen to her, be swayed by her rational, yet sweet, pleading. With a little time, she, Ginny Weasley, would lead a willing Draco Malfoy to the Light.

Yea, RIGHT! Ginny scoffed at her nonsensical meanderings. This was the wizard who was willing to prostitute his life, she reminded herself. Surely his situation wasn't that severe. The idea of a Malfoy needing cash was as foreign to Ginny as walking on the moon, and it jarred the witch's reality. She couldn't picture Lucius and Narcissa in a small flat on Diagon Alley or clipping coupons from the Daily Prophet. It was like putting a diamond in a setting made of clay. The two would not merge, and it forced home the vast expanse between Draco's world and her own. There is nothing wrong in being poor, Ginny's middle class heart cried. It just means you have to work harder for what you really want and once you have the prize, treasure it all the more. Draco wasn't stupid. He could get a job. Surely he wasn't totally lacking in employment potential. She would just have to talk to him, that was all. They could work this out together.

Of course they could.

The men had grown quiet, and Ginny could hear the clatter of utensils on china and smell the delightful aroma of coffee. No time like the present to begin Operation Redeem Draco. She pushed the covers from her body and sat on the edge of the mattress.

"He truly raped her?" Severus was asking.

Ginny inhaled for a jaw-cracking yawn, then froze as the words began to register on her sleep tousled brain.

"Yes."

"The entity Miss Weasley encountered in the Chamber of Secrets was the memory of Tom Riddle's sixteen-year-old self, not the actual, physical person. I He /I could have not truly been there in solid, physical form. I, or Albus, would have sensed him." Ginny heard the doubt plaguing her long-time friend and protector.

"He was solid enough to take Potter's wand, Severus." There was a pause before Draco continued. P FONT size+1 "Like you, I had my sources. I gained more information walking the corridors of Hogwart's than I ever learned in any classroom.Â Yours being the exception, of course. He was real enough to... do her damage.Â I could feel him on her and," again, Draco paused, and Ginny felt her skin burn in shame and horror, "in her.Â She fought!Â Oh gods, she fought.Â But she was too small. Damn him to dust, she was just a kid!Â A baby!Â How could anyone..."

Ginny longed to curl up once more upon the bed and cradle the wound of pain and tension that expanded in her gut,rolling around inside her like a heated iron ball, but rising anger held her rigid. She knew she had experienced her reoccurring nightmare. Its appearance in her nighttime vision was a common enough event for the young witch, and she had learned early on how best to handle the morning fallout left by the dream, but this...

This was beyond absorbing.

Malfoy! Like a blind, stupid fool, she had trusted him! Trusted him to point of asking him to sleep in her room, looking for him to protect her! The blow of betrayal was acute and deep. She snorted, attempting to banish the ache in her throat that threatened tears. He must have entered her dream using Legilimency, the arrogant bastard! He had viewed her most shameful secret and obviously had no remorse about sharing the news. Ginny dug her fingers into the sheeting, her breathing coming fast and hard. After all her hard work... attempting to place the horror in the past where it belonged... forcing herself to be gay and open when all she had wanted to do was crawl into some dark corner and die!

She had never admitted to anything other than her abduction to the Chamber. Her child's voice had responded with a polite, "Nothing," each time an adult had questioned her about Tom's actions towards her while she had been held as a hostage for Harry. When asked about the scored and bloody condition of her body, she had replied with widely innocent eyes and a whispered, "I don't remember." She fought them violently when the mediwitch attempted to exam her farther, until even her mother, Molly, had joined the bobbing heads that mouthed words of support, i Should you ever want to talk about it, dear, /i and with tsking tongues, had allowed her to be sucked once more into the general population.

For months afterward, her abduction and wounds became like the proverbial Mountain Troll at the tea party, acknowledged but then tactfully ignored. The marks on her body had screamed volumes, but the adults around her had been more than happy to turn a blind eye to the terrifyingly sick evidence, and allow Ginny's silence to become the shaky foundation upon which they constructed their truth. It was to their comfortable truth that Ginny had clung desperately as the months passed and she hoped that her schoolmates would be as willfully blind and dumb as the adults in her world. However, the students had descended upon the tiny Gryffindor like a massive cloud of locust, their twisted faces winking slyly about things their young minds could barely identify much less comprehend, and their grating, vicious voices dissected her sins, keeping her awake at night. When she tried, in her growing loneliness, to reach out to individual members of the swarm, they would rattle their wings, flitting quickly away, so as not to be contaminated by her touch. Girls who had previously shared their work benches, their Ice Mice, and their smiles, turned their faces or packed up books and quills at her approach. Ginny had loosely attached herself to the outer orbit of the triple suns that were Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and teachers and staff watched with ineffectual concern as the youngest Weasley seemed to vanish within the blinding glare that was the Golden Trio.

It had all been for nothing! Her shame, her weakness, and failure had been discovered, and no doubt, would soon be all over the wizarding world. Ginny felt as if her head would explode. Well, he may have some juicy gossip to spread, but she fully intended to make him pay for the knowledge. Rising, the witch pulled the robe from the foot of the bed and thrusting her arms through the sleeves, padded on silent feet to the balcony doors. Severus was speaking, and Ginny allowed his mellow voice to sooth her tattered nerves as she listened and remembered.

Severus Snape. Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House. The Practitioner of All Things Cruel, Evil Bat, Greasy Git, Hooked Nosed Horror of the Dungeons and Former Death Eater, he had been the only grown-up who had understood the shattered little girl she had been. He had risked a great deal more than his position as an instructor by coming to her hospital bed that night. It had been his quiet, calm presence, as he shared his own disillusionment and pain, that had pried young Ginny's anguish from her fingers, letting it go for the first of many times. Severus, who had actually meant it when he promised to be there for her should the need ever arise. Severus, who had held her while she cried over adult problems that tarnished her child's world. Severus, who never pried, poked or pitied, but taught her to stand once more and move forward.

"Did you ever approach her again?" Draco asked, sounding a bit too accusing for Ginny's taste. She watched Snape's black head rear back as if from a blow and the look of shocked pain that flicked briefly across his sharp features. She felt the sting for him.

Before he could respond, Ginny spoke out firmly, "No, he did not. But he let me sleep in his chambers nearly every night of my third year." The wizards rose politely at her appearance. Barely taking time to draw a breath, she strode across the stones, putting every ounce of power and muscle she possessed into her swing. Her fist connected quite nicely with Draco's nose, sending him backwards onto the breakfast laden table. Pain blossomed through Ginny's hand, and she shook the abused appendage as she glared down at her foe.

"YOU!" she snarled, "are a sneaking, nosy low-life!" As if spotting the Potions Master for the first time, her face broke into a sunny smile. "Hello, Severus! Have you more of this breakfast? I am famished."

"Of course, Miss Weasley," Severus replied with a thin smile. "Leo!"

The table beneath Draco's sprawled carcass was instantly and magically cleared. Broken china, scraps of food, spilled coffee and blood vanished in a flash. He lay supine, staring up at the bluebird sky, wearing a dazed expression. The table suddenly released a metallic groan, bent its rust spotted legs and, bucking like a wild colt, sent Draco flying. He skidded over the stones and came to a stop near a massive clay urn. He struggled to his feet, glaring at his attacker and protesting loudly. "Not all of this is my bloody fault, you know!" The silver haired wizard rearranged the twisted state of his dressing gown. "Bugger this!" He snarled, wiping at the blood streaming from his abused nose.

Ginny was on him like a flame- haired Cornish Pixie. "Bugger YOU!" she bellowed, poking at his exposed chest with a scarlet tipped finger. "What gave you the right to come into u my /u head, i POKE /i "to see i my /i secrets?" i POKE-POKE /i . Her freckles vanished as her face flashed puce with rage. "What are you going to do now, sell the story to the highest bidder?

Draco erred when he rolled his eyes at the lunacy of her question. Ginny spiked her claws into the silky strands at the wizard's temple and pulled. Draco feared for his safety as her eyes glowed with a killing fire. Latching his fingers about her wrists, he attempted to prevent the removal of his sideburns as the demented witch snatched his head side to side.

"Let go!" He hassled, nearly breathless with the agony sparking from his temples.

"No!" She replied with a pant. "I am going to beat the memory out of your damn skull! I am going to smash it on the stones and then scour it off with soap and water!" Ginny sobbed as she attempted to hammer Draco's head against the wall. "I will make sure no one will ever hear about it from you!"

"Ow, let go and let's talk about this. OW! Damn it, Ginny! I said, let go." Pain blurred his eyes with water and Draco went on instinct, hoping he was correct. He released one of Ginny's hands and immediately grasped a free swaying breast, his forefinger and thumb clamping down on a firm nipple.

The witch squealed like a trapped piglet.

"Release me!" Draco demanded, giving the pointed flesh a wicked twist.

"NO!" Ginny arched her back, attempting to snatch her abused breast from the hateful vice of his fingers, but Draco followed the movement of her body, denying escape. The pair staggered across the balcony in a weird, jerking dance, both of their faces a study in pain and determination. Severus observed the contortions of the pair with morbid fascination. The Potions Master had witnessed passion and anger in their many forms, but he had never before seen such dogged tenacity in gaining the upper hand. He considered coming between the two but cherished his current state of health. He decided it was best to allow the children to work through their differences.

Ginny attempted to bite the hand that tormented her, but Draco saw the flash of teeth and gave her nipple a vicious tweak. She responded with by twirling the short hairs at his temple around her forefingers and thumb, pulling.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Their duet of pain sizzled on the morning air. Finally, Ginny, her eyes blurred with tears, gasped, "Ok, I give! Let go!"

"No!" Draco was quick to snap. "Do I appear stupid? You grabbed first, you let go first!"

They swayed where they stood, hunched over at their waists, eyes and hands locked in mortal combat. "How do I know," Ginny panted, "if I let go, you will too?"

"You are just going to have to trust me!" Draco ground out through barred teeth, causing the witch to roll her eyes.

"That's what got me into this mess to start with!" she replied heatedly.

"Look," the wizard moaned, "we can argue that point later. Are you going to release me or not?"

As Snape sipped his coffee, they stared menacingly at each other, measuring, unsure of what to expect.

"Hell!" Ginny yelled. "Ok, we do it together, alright?"

"Together?" Draco pressed.

"Yesssssssssss!" she hissed in pain and frustrated rage, "On three."

"On three," the hunkered wizard insisted.

"One!" Ginny began.

"Two-three!" Draco finished, releasing her breast as her fingers evaporated from his hair. They sprang from each other like equal magnetic poles to stand panting and rubbing their abused parts. Ginny hastily ceased the massaging of her throbbing nipple as she caught Severus' eye across the narrow expanse of stone. Her cheeks burned even hotter as she turned once more on her prey.

Pointing a red nailed finger to Malfoy, she accused him in a hard tone, "You used i Legilimency /i on me."

Draco was staring, aghast, at the strands of silver hair that lay in his palm. i The witch nearly scalped me! /i Her words penetrated his thoughts, and he transferred his shocked gaze to Ginny as she stood trembling with rage. "Yes, I did, but if you will let me..."

"You entered where you weren't welcome! You took what wasn't offered!" Her shrill voice cracked from the strain, and the last came from her lips in a wet whisper. "You are no better than Tom."

Malfoy's cheeks blazed, and the thunderhead grey of his eyes flashed with dangerous heat. He struck with the speed of a summer storm, his index finger jabbing between Ginny's cotton veiled breasts. "I am u nothing /u like that monster!" His voice exploded against the witch's flushed cheeks like thunder, and she staggered slightly away from his wrath. Drawing new air, he continued, "How dare you? I was trying to help, you shrieking harpy!"

"I don't remember asking for your bloody help!" Ginny screeched, causing Severus, who was inspecting the witch's freshly summoned meal, to wince in pain.

"You would not ask for help if your i b bloody arse was on fire /b /i !" Draco howled, waving his arms like wind tossed-branches.

"Well, I damn sure wouldn't be asking YOU!" she roared in quick response.

"Hell, as dense as you are, you would not even notice the flames until you were charred beyond recognition!" the wizard spat, quite pleased with his choice of words.

"Are you calling me stupid?" Ginny reared back, eyes wide.

"The word I used was 'dense', but 'stupid' could be easily inserted into the sentence without damaging the integrity of the message," Draco quipped.

Ginny folded her arms over her chest before launching her response. "Ok, Mr Hero, what sort of help," she spat the word with such venom Draco was surprised it did not sizzle upon the stones, "was your mind rape supposed to provide? Hmmm?" Her face continued to be stony but her brown eyes brimmed with tears.

Once more Draco howled in frustrated anger, "I did NOT rape you!"

"I'm the victim here, and it sure felt like rape to me," Ginny paused for emphasis, "And I would know."

Draco was panting from the emotional sprints he had endured, and he glared hard at the red-headed witch. "Ok Weasley, you want to know what I hoped to accomplish? How does vengeance sound to you?" At her startled look, he continued, "I told you once before that if you would only tell me who hurt you, I would hunt him down and kill him. Just for you, Ginny." He paused, sagging against the cool stone wall, his head resting on its rough surface. "I hoped I would see the face of your attacker. I hoped to avenge you."

Ginny flapped her hand in a dismissive gesture, her features as hard as the rock where Draco rested. "Then why are you still here? You know who he is. He still lives. Why haven't you just popped over to his place and blasted him into the dirt?"

When the wizard declined to respond, merely dropped his eyes from her probing gaze, she gasped in mocking dismay, one pale hand fluttering to her chest. "Why, could it be you don't know where he lives?" Ginny practically apparated to the spot below Draco's blood-encrusted nose, so quickly did she dissolve the distance between the pair. "Couldn't you just i b ask your daddy? /b /i " She snarled viciously. "Or, maaaaaybe, it could be you are afraid? Wouldn't look too good on your resume. 'Reason for leaving last position- Blew up boss.' "

"You are a nasty bitch, Weasley, you know that?"

"Yeah!" Ginny hollered, "I've been practicing!"

"I should have just let Professor Snape take you last night. THAT would not have been anything new for you, I am sure." He added under his breath.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" She growled.

"I think you know," Draco drawled, but seeing her raised fists, jumped back, his own hands up to block any possible attack. "And don't go hitting me again!"

"YOU are a total wanker, Draco Malfoy! Severus has nothing to do with this." Ginny declared hotly.

One platinum brow arched meanly. "Oh, so it is Severus, is it?" His lip curled into a nasty smirk.

Ginny's brow cinched tightly, and she advanced on the grinning Slytherin, ignoring the brief flash of hurt and jealousy that showed in the silver eyes as the words flew from his lips, "Yes, he is Severus to me. Has been for years. Isn't that so, Severus?"

"My dog is not in this fight, Miss Weasley," the dark wizard replied in his usual dry tone. "but do feel free to carry on without my input."

"Quite true." Ginny agreed, focusing once more on her blond nemesis. "Stop trying to drag Severus into this," She snapped.

"I am not the one talking to the man!" Draco growled in frustration. Alarmed by the shrillness of his own voice, he raked a blood smeared hand through his hair. Gods, the witch was making him loose his mind.

"Yes, but you were trying to change the subject."

Draco wanted to scream! Instead, he pushed his face closer and growled in frustration, "Was there b E /b -ver a freaking subject?"

Ginny snorted hotly and planted her fists firmly on her narrow hips.

i She is going Molly! /i Snape noticed and wisely put more distance between himself and the fighting couple. Pouring himself another cup of coffee and holding the cup gingerly, he vaulted the balcony wall and moved further from the center of the storm.

She whirled from Draco, causing her red hair to slap softly against his cheek. She quickly returned to their original topic. "Avenge me! What a lot of rot! You don't even know me. Anyway, why should you care about what Your Lordship did to a worthless Weasley?"

His fingers dug into the soft fabric of her gown as he wheeled her to face him once more. He shoved his face close to hers. "He is NOT my lord. He never will be. And I DO care about you, woman! I told you that last night." Pulling her to his chest, Draco wrapped his arms around her rigid body. "Ginny, gods! I never meant to hurt you. I know what I did was wrong," She attempted to pull away, and he was forced to tighten his grip. "I should have let you be, but knowing that you had been hurt...like that, it was eating me up on the inside, Ginny. I wanted to see his face, learn who had done that to you, and I wanted to make him pay."

"It was eating YOU up on the inside?" Ginny cried, thrusting herself from his arms. "So you pried into my private hell to save yourself a bit of pain, is that what you are saying?"

"NO!" Draco insisted, "I thought I could make it go away."

"It won't ever go away!" she screamed, the tears now burning the rims of her eyes. "It happened! It really happened! I trusted him, and he raped me!"

Draco attempted to pull her into his arms once more, but she turned away, swiping at the tears that streamed down her reddened cheeks. "You can't make something like that just go away, Malfoy."

The blond wizard sighed heavily, feeling the tightness in his face growing as his shattered nose began to swell. He reached out to Ginny and tenderly rubbed his knuckles up and down the strong line of her spine. "I could try to make it better for you," he whispered. She merely shrugged, sniffling into the sleeve of her robe.

"How?" Ginny managed to croak.

Draco sagged against the wall, rolling his head against the stones. "Hell, I don't know, but I am willing to try. I can be your friend, teach you to trust me, show you that you will never have to worry about me hurting you again."

She glanced at him over her shoulder, her bitter sweet chocolate eyes red rimmed from tears. "That's going to take some doing, Malfoy," she stated plainly. "We have always been enemies."

He shrugged, giving her a familiar and wicked grin. "Yes, but we always played well. Remember?"

Ginny ducked her head to hide her own grin.

"Ah, ah! See? You remember what it was like to play with me. It can be like that again," Draco explained.

"And i why /i are you willing to do all of this?" Ginny asked.

"We are going to be stuck here for three days, Weasley. We can make nice, or we can see who throws the killing curse first. I would rather share my toys. Call it my wedding present to you," Draco finished with a crooked grin.

Ginny turned to face him fully, her arms folded protectively over her chest. "A wedding gift?" she huffed and then looked at the former Slytherin in open disbelief. "I can't believe you are actually going to marry that cow for her money!" Then voice softened. "Your eyes are starting to bruise, you know?" She gazed at his face, the sharp angles she once thought so harsh and severe, the grey eyes that, at one time, had possessed the power to freeze her in her tracks with their intense, cold hatred, and wondered at what had changed. Now, he appeared softer somehow. Still all Slytherin, yet more approachable. His features, bruises, and massive swelling aside, were lovely to behold, and not in the manner of beautiful but unfeeling Italian marble. It had to be his eyes, she decided. They were more open now, more revealing than they had been at Hogwarts. It was as if he were inviting her into his soul, throwing the doors wide, urging her to plunder at will.

An awkward second passed before Ginny lowered her eyes. "You should let Severus see to that nose. If it you allow it to get much bigger..." Embarrassed by her close inspection of his face she stammered, "Well, you know." Easing past him, she walked slowly towards the table and her waiting meal.

"Does this mean we can be friends?" Draco called quietly to her retreating back.

Ginny picked up a triangular slice of buttered toast, nibbling along the crusty edge before glancing shyly back at the wizard. "I dunno, maybe. It is going to take some time before I can really trust you again, you know?"

Draco pushed himself from the wall and slowly walked towards her, a smile beginning to stretch his thin lips before he winced in pain. He gingerly touched his nose with bloody fingers. "Well, Little Weasel, we have a few days of uninterrupted isolation to work on that. OUCH! This throbs like a bitch in heat! Where did you learn to hit like that, woman?"

Ginny stifled a giggle and swallowed a mouthful of bread. "I grew up with six brothers, Malfoy, and they never pulled their punches. It was either eat or be eaten, if you know what I mean. And then there was the DA. When Harry stopped teaching us in his fifth year, several of us continued to meet and work out new ways to defend ourselves."

"And you, of course, lead the classes?" He couldn't help but grin at the idea of tiny Ginny Weasley teaching hand-to-hand combat.

"You bet your ass I did," she quipped, settling into a chair and loading up a plate with eggs. "SEVERUS!"

Draco, who was just taking his own chair, jumped in alarm at her full-chested bellow.

"No need to yell, Miss Weasley. Your dulcet tones carry quite well without the added propulsion." Snape voice came from just beyond the hedges.

"I just wanted to let you know it is safe to return now. Draco has calmed down," she said sweetly.

"So, you have killed him then?" Snape's disembodied voice inquired. Draco winced again as his brows tried to find their way into his hairline.

Pouring herself a cup of steaming coffee, Ginny sighed dramatically. "No, simply talked him down from the rafters. He will be needing his nose fixed."

They heard the Potions Master snort impatiently. "A perfectly good waste of medicinal magic, if you ask me. He will simply say or do something else idiotic, and you will end up bashing him once more. Fix it yourself, woman! You are a witch, after all!"

"But Severus," she groaned. "I haven't my wand. Goyle took it..." Her words failed as a tangle of connected objects flew over the hedge and landed with a clang on the table top. Ginny scooped up the rattling bundle, squealing. "Severus! You retrieved my wand! And Mr. Fortescue's keys!"

"Once again, you state the obvious, Miss Weasley," Severus chided the glowing witch as he made his way from the lawn to ascend a set of stone stairs to the balcony. His shining black boot had barely touched the landing when he found his arms full of bubbling, thankful Weasley. "Miss Weasley, unhand... Stop this instant! No kisses! Alright, just one, on the cheek mind you. Now, leave off before you cause us to fall," Snape groused as Ginny escorted him to the table. Draco observed their reunion, a coal of jealousy burning in his chest.

"Severus," Ginny started in a quiet, repressed tone, climbing without hesitation onto the wizard's lap once he had gained his chair. "Last night, at the... whatever it was, well, when I first saw you...," she groaned and pressed her forehead into his lapel. "I am so sorry I doubted you! After all you've done for me, and I had to go and act like a total i girl /i on you!"

"Think nothing of it, Miss Weasley," the dark wizard intoned, his chest vibrating slightly under Ginny's fingers. "You were being pursued from all sides, confused and frightened. It was no wonder you would suspect all those that made up the pack, in spite of past associations." His black eyes burned into Draco's steel grey orbs as he gently stroked the witch's shoulder.

"I know, but," Ginny continued to whine, but Severus cut her off.

"Hush! It is over and you are safe. Besides, if you had thrown yourself into my arms expecting my protection, it might have made for a stickier ending. Let this be a lesson to you, my young friend, be very cautious upon whom you place your confidence." Again the simmering glare was directed at Draco.

"Have you spoken to my parents?" Ginny asked, twisting her fingers nervously into the pleats of Snape's robes.

"I have, leaving out the more dire events and your current location, of course. They are aware that you were abducted and that Mr. Malfoy, here, was able to come to your aid. I have made them to understand that it is in the best interest of both of you to remain in hiding for the next few days. They were hard headed about the situation, especially your brother, Ron, but were finally made to see the logic of my plan."

"I just bet," Ginny responded dryly. "So, what happens now?"

"For now," Severus said. "You and Mr. Malfoy will be my guests. In three days time, I will return to escort you back to the Burrow as Mr. Malfoy has a prior claim upon his time."

Ginny wound her arms about the wizard's neck, hugging him tightly. "Thank you, Severus."

Snape scowled, pulling her away from him. "Now, up with you before my leg goes to sleep. Let us see to Mr. Malfoy's injury, and then I must make my way to Hogwarts."

Ginny smiled and rose to reclaim her own seat, but the smile vanished when she captured the glower that was sitting like a summer storm on Draco's face. "Are you in much pain?" she inquired, her own brow starting to furl with concern.

"Some!" he hissed. She pulled back and returned her attention to her eggs.

Draco attempted to clamp down on the verdigris serpent that had sank its fangs into his vitals at the sight of Ginny Weasley being held by his friend. Snarling at her was not the way to begin reestablishing the witch's trust, but watching as she had curled, i welcome, /i into Severus' lap, seeing their obvious appreciation of one another, had stung him deeply. The knowledge that he had done nothing but bring her harm and wretched mortification, was as acid poured upon an open and bleeding wound. Seems like the only time they had ever been able to come to any type of understanding was when they were sparing back at school.

He sighed as Severus pulled his wand, and Draco held up his palm, stalling the older wizard. "Look, Gin, that was harsh of me."

She waved her fork in dismissal, her eyes not leaving her plate. "No biggie, I understand. You're in PAIN, after all."

"Hell yes, I am bloody well in a great deal of pain, thanks to you. You have made me your personal punching bag for several days now. You nearly broke my damn hand with that blasted metal drawbridge, split my lip, BIT MY LEG for god's sake and attempted to separate me from my fingers just last night!"

"Oh, and let's not leave out how I kicked your dog and stole your lolly!" Ginny spat, finally fixing her ire on him, her brown eyes sparking.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Draco demanded.

"Stuff your whining, Malfoy," she snapped before turning to the glowering Potions Master, demanding hotly, "Severus, would you PLEASE fix him up now before he slips into a coma?"

Professor eyed the two combatants as they faced off over the toast and marmalade, cautious lest either of them fly back into the attack. "Children," he drawled dangerously, "this moment is vastly entertaining, but a shameful waste of my precious time and patience! Now, Draco, this might smart a bit- ah, yes, I can see that it did indeed. The bruises will fade shortly, but you will continue to experience some residual edema in the area for a few more hours. I suggest rest." He glared down at the pair, Ginny, who was attempting to chew silently and Draco, who cradled his throbbing face in his hands, both of them avoiding all eye contact.

The towering wizard frowned and pointed a stern finger at the both of them. "No arguing! No fighting! No dueling! No destruction of my personal property!"

"Yes, sir," the pair responded meekly.

"Very good. Now, before I forget." Severus pulled a small tan object from one of his many pockets and placed it upon the table. "Your mother felt you would not be able to survive the wretched conditions of your country prison without a i few /i , " he sneered through the word. "necessary items from home. You may disembowel the contents at your leisure. Now, Mr. Malfoy," Snape chewed out. "I was asked to deliver this missive into your hands by a pair calling themselves the Misses Catchpoles." He tossed a thick packet of parchment down in front of the pale haired wizard. " I am sure you are able to make some sense of the matter." That said, he whirled from the table. "Now that I have completed my job as nurse and post owl, I am away. If I should find even the slightest damage upon my return, rest assured, I will be most displeased."

The seated pair watched as the dark robed wizard strode across the emerald expanse of lawn, Disapparating in mid-stride. The breeze carried the small thunder clap of his passing to their ears.

Silence fell.

Ginny chewed her food with cautious attention, her eyes fixed on her plate.

Draco chewed his thoughts with equal deliberation. i Three days. I have three days to make her see some good in me. Three days! /i Leaning back in his chair, he stretched his long legs, crossing them at the ankle. He studied the young woman seated across from him and wondered how to go about breaching the gap that lay between them.

"So, Weasel," he drawled, pulling her attention from her plate, "do you ride?"

Ginny frowned. "What?"

"Ride."

"Ride?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"Ride! Ride!" Draco was starting to lose his desire to be friendly.

"Yes." Ginny shook her head at his stupidity. "Ride what?"

Draco shut his eyes and made to stroke the bridge of his nose before remembering its delicate state. "Weasel, if a pureblood inquires, 'Do you ride?' they mean only one thing- horses."

"Oh," Ginny swallowed, laying her fork down and folding her napkin. "Why didn't you just say so? I am a pureblood, Draco, and I didn't have a clue as to what you meant."

"Ah yes, so you are. I tend to forget that," he eyed her evilly, his silver eyes shining, "for obvious reasons." He chuckled as Ginny reared up, her nostrils flaring once more in rising anger. "So, do you, ride, I mean?"

"Well, I have never been on a horse, but I have ridden Thestrals. Do you ride, Thestrals, I mean?" Her lips curled in a snarky grin.

Draco pouted at the look of triumph on her freckled face, but his heart fluttered in his chest. "Bitch," he said without heat.

Ginny blushed, her eyes sparkling as she raised her coffee cup. "Prick."

"Harpy."

"Wanker."

Draco poured himself another cup of coffee and smiled.

b So, Chapter 9 is in your hot, little paws. I hope it was worth the wait. Big thanks to mynuet for turning me on to Semagic. Big, WET kisses for fallenwitch for her excellent beta skills. She went above and beyond the shriek of duty for this one. Took out her trusty comma shaker and had herself a big time! I never knew I was such a comma dummy. Thank you so much!

Now, a review would be nice... /b 


	10. Chapter 10

font size"+1" b Chapter 10- The Evening Star /b /font

u You /u are a very bad animal," Ginny informed her dun colored mount. The russet haired witch stood at the animal's head, clinging to the leather bridle while starting balefully into one of its placid, brown eyes. The tall mare shifted her weight, and blasted Ginny's face with a bored whoosh of horse scented breath.

"And here I thought you loved animals," Draco teased as he dismounted with graceful ease. He slapped the neck of his own bay mount fondly.

"I love sick and injured animals," the witch insisted with a pained groan, "not ones that take advantage of a person's inexperience."

"Come now, Weasel," Draco's vowels stretched themselves languidly around the wizard's tongue, as twisted and as sweet as the saltwater taffy Ginny sold from the cantina, "don't blame Bella for your abysmal horsewitchship." Gray eyes dancing, he watched as she released Bella into the care of an impatiently hovering Barn Elf, before hobbling, bow-legged and stiff in the direction of the manor. With a chuckle, he tossed his reins to a second Elf and easily caught up with the suffering Miss Weasley.

"Tell me," he baited his companion, "did you intend to take that shortcut through the milking shed and the granary?"

"The brute ran away with me," Ginny groused, her cheeks red from the pounding ride and its resulting embarrassment. "No matter how hard I pulled the strings..."

"Reins," Draco interrupted while wearing a superior smirk. "And if memory serves me, Bella was at a trot." The sweet recollection of Ginny's round little butt smacking the hard saddle as her mount deliberately disregarded the fumbling demands of its rider would be his to treasure forever. There had been no fear that Ginny would tumble from her ungraceful perch upon the unrepentant animal since he had placed a sticking charm to the saddle's shining leather seat, so he had enjoyed the show, guilt free.

"Whatever," the red head snapped. The pair had reached a set of stone steps that rose steeply to the rear entrance of Snape's country home and Ginny groaned again as she eyed the many shallow risers that climbed the green sweep of hillside. "Stupid horse."

Draco's full laugh filled the late morning air and Ginny glared at him as he choked himself into control. He had tied his blond hair into a smart queue and the sunlight lay on his shining head like a crown. While Ginny had to make do with the faded, lavender robes provided by Molly's hamper, Draco clothes press contained an arsenal of fine apparel, and he resembled a young lord, his riding attire of buff linen draping his frame as if it had been stitched upon his body. Tall, brown leather boots encased his legs to the knees while the length of his cream breeches were tucked neatly into the folded tops. The riding jacket hugged his shoulders. emphasizing their broad width, before tapering to his lean hips, allowing the long, dove-tailed ends to to lay smoothly over the hard curve of his arse. Ginny had experienced a deep sense of shame with her own shabby appearance when Draco had arrived to escort her to the stables, once more reminded of the huge gulf that lay between their worlds, but right now, her aching posterior and his nasty laughter dredged up old rivalries of the Hogwart's sort and all social and economic barriers vanished before her pique.

"You planned this!" she snarled, pushing up on her toes to bring her freckled nose nearly level with his own. "You probably offered that Transfigured goat a bribe."

Draco smiled into her flashing brown eyes. "You give me too much credit, but I would be a fool for allowing such a wonderfully serendipitous pleasure to slip by unnoticed."

Ginny whirled away with a growl of frustration and pain. Lifting her nose haughtily, Ginny spoke through the freckled bump, "Sew, Weaslay, dew yew rrrrhide?" Draco cringed as the witch mockingly mangled the well-bred drawl of the upper crust. Catching his shudder, she growled, "You owe me big time, Malofy!" He watched as she struggled mightily up several steps before the chaffing of her inner thighs brought her to a halt. "Owie, owie, owie, owie!" she hissed, raising the hem of her skirt to peer at her abraded flesh. "I lost a good six inches of flesh on that damned saddle.

"I told you to wear breeches." Draco reminded her as he made his way to her side and attempted a peek under her elevated robes. Ginny dropped the heavy material with a gasp of outraged modesty.

"Quit perving on me. And Mum didn't send any breeches. I am a good little witch, remember? Good little witches wear robes!" Draco's lips curled as she added, sotto voice, "No matter how damned old and ratty they are."

The wizard had to admit, the garment that Ginny wore was beyond all hope of style and taste. i He /i wouldn't be caught dead garbed in such a fashion. He had nearly offered to provide the witch with something more flattering to her color and curves, the manor's ambries being filled with a wealth of finely crafted witch wear abandoned by their previous owners, but he recalled her middle class pride and resisted the urge. Of course, he could have Transfigured her some suitable riding attire, but that sort of spell work was not his strength and while the imaginary sight of a suddenly naked Ginny delighted him to no end, the reality of such a situation and her resulting rage did not bear investigation.

"Come on, Weasel," he chuckled, offering her his arm. "I know something that will alleviate your discomfort and reinstall you to your former good humor."

Ginny frowned, causing the sweat that had gathered on her brow to trickle down the bridge of her nose. She swiped at the offending droplet with the back of her hand and inquired suspiciously, "What?"

He stared into the narrowing brown eyes, fighting the desire to just kiss the witch into submission and spoke without thinking. "Just trust me."

Ginny pulled back slightly and searched his face, looking for... something, anything that would clue her in to his intent and found only the openness she had noted earlier, that same clear, unencumbered invitation to play that she had seen so often during their final years at school. Slowly, she nodded, laying her hand her hand upon his sleeve. "Okay."

Their stroll, underscored by Ginny's snarls of pain, along with vows of retribution upon him and all the equine species, was mercifully brief, and they soon arrived before the door of a modest, glass-enclosed space. Draco winked at his hissing partner and tapped the latch with his wand. The panel swung open on silent hinges and Draco led Ginny into the warm, damp air of a private swimming chamber. Filtered sunlight danced along the surface of the water, sending long ribbons of yellow and white whirling out on the cobalt tiled floor. Reclining chairs crafted of wood were group at one end of the pool along with a mountain of fluffy towels.

An, "Ooooooooo!" of appreciation leaked from Ginny's lips as she released Draco's arm and immediately began loosening the fastenings of the stifling robes. "Thanks, Draco!" she spoke over her shoulder. "Check you later."

"Oh no, no, Weasel. Has no one ever told you it is unsafe to swim alone?" With exaggerated languor he peeled his jacket from his body. Ginny's eyes grew round as she watched him carefully fold the garment over his arm. The toothy grin he flashed her was both playful and predatory, as hooked thumbs slid under the straps of his suspenders, and allowed the slim leather pieces to slip down the length of each arm.

"You, surely, I mean," Ginny stammered. "You don't think I am going to let you into that pool with me?"

Draco had started on his own buttons, and glanced up from his task, his eyes filled with innocence. "And that would be..?" he left the question to hang temptingly between them.

"Highly inappropriate!" Ginny snapped. "I don't even have a bathing suit," she bit her lip at the sudden mental flash of the two of them cavorting naked in the pool.

Draco merely shrugged, enjoying her discomfort and her telling blush. "You i are /i wearing underthings, are you not?"

The witch's nostrils flared with indignation. "Of course I am wearing underthings! What sort of witch - damn, I can't believe I am even talking with you about my knickers!" She folded her arms defiantly over her heaving chest, feeling the scratchy material abrading her skin, and thrust her chin toward the exit. "You're just going to have to leave."

Her jaw fell wide as Draco moved to the far end of the chamber and began removing his shirt. "Sorry. No can do." He tossed his garments onto a nearby chair, and sitting, began to tug at one boot.

Ginny's eyes grew round as she unwillingly drank in the sight of the half naked Malfoy heir. The wavering ribbons of reflected sunlight lay upon his exposed, tanned shoulders, shifting and blending with the smooth muscles that rippled beneath his skin. His chest was sparsely dusted with fine golden hairs, and the witch couldn't help but notice the way the hair around each flat nipple was darker and curled with his sweat. He tossed his leather boot to the tiles, the sound causing her to jump slightly. Her dry tongue cleaved to the roof of her mouth as Draco peeled off his sock and flexed his newly freed toes in relaxation. i Even his feet are lovely/i Ginny silently moaned.

Draco was aware of Ginny's perusal, and a small grin pulled at the corner of his mouth. "It is rude to stare, you know, Weasley."

Ginny swallowed dryly. "Sorta hard not to, you know, Malfoy. Anyway, it is also rude to strip in front of someone." she responded in what she hoped was a firm tone.

Draco divested himself of the second boot and sock before glancing through his fringe at the wide eyed witch, one silver brow cocked in challenge. "Oh, really?" he inquired, rising to his full height, his bare arms hanging loosely at his sides. He felt the witch's gaze move over him like a caress, her eyes filled not with lust (oh, he was used to THAT look), but with innocent wonder and shock, and his stomach twisted in anticipation of her response to his body. Would she realize the precariousness of their situation and flee, or would she remain? The silence deepened as Ginny finally raised her fawn-colored eyes to his face, meeting his gaze.

"Do you think I am beautiful?" Draco broke the stillness with his calm, yet highly pointed question.

Ginny nodded. What else could she do? Lie? For Circe's sake, the wizard was bloody gorgeous! "Y-yes," she whispered. "I do."

"Good," he responded, his nervousness fading slightly. At least the witch hadn't bolted. "I am glad." His hands moved the the front placket of his breeches, easily slipping the top button free.

Ginny's face flamed and she whirled away. She struggled to recover her breath and her composure as the sounds of the wizard's disrobing tickled along the shell of her pinkened ears. i I can't believe I said that to him/i she wailed internally. i I'm bloody losing my mind/i A loud splash caused her to look over her shoulder. Draco was gliding below the sparkling surface of the water, clad in a pair of dark blue boxers. His long legs were pressed together and his entire body undulated gracefully as he headed to the far side of the pool. He appeared at home in his watery element, like one of the Merepeople who inhabited the dark lake at Hogwart's, his hair streaming over his flexing back as he expertly propelled his lithe form through the water. When he reached the more shallow end of the pool, he placed his feet beneath him and stood, shaking the moisture from his face. He frowned when he realized she was still fully garbed.

"Are you not coming in?" he asked sharply.

"I told you, I don't have a proper suit!" Ginny responded with equal heat.

Draco huffed in frustration. "Well, swim in your damned underthings!" he insisted. "I am!"

"It's not the same!" Ginny wailed. "Guys can get away with swimming in their knickers."

He blasted the water with an impatient fist and began to wade in her direction, his features set and determined. Ginny backed away from the water's edge.

"Weasley," Draco stated firmly. "If you are not in this pool by the time I count to five, I am going to toss you in, tacky robes and all!"

Ginny's eyes narrowed and she growled low, "You wouldn't dare!"

"One." He echoed her growl, feeling a rising pleasure from baiting the witch.

"I have my wand! Don't make me hex you, Malfoy!"

"Two." Draco emphasized his point by slapping his hands wetly upon the tiles and half hoisting his dripping body from the pool.

"OK!" Ginny screamed, whirling away and pulling her wand from her sleeve, jabbed it into the chaffing collar of her robe. "Just give me a second here, you nasty, provoking..."

"Three."

"Ooooo!" She twisted her eyes shut and concentrated hard on a memory. She and Hermione had been pouring over a Muggle sales flier a few months earlier, when Ginny had announced that she would once more be serving her summers in the beach town of Bognor Regis. Hermione had insisted on buying Ginny a swim suit and the two girls were deep into discussing color and cut when Molly Weasley had plucked the flier from their startled hands. The heated words coming from her mum's lips did not bear remembering. Something about immoral, trashy, indecent, catch your death of cold...

"Four." i Oh gods, was he getting closer/i

"Shut it, Malfoy! I am concentrating here!" she bellowed. There i had /i been one suit in particular... Ginny felt the tingle of magic as her underthings altered. Quickly she peeked down the front of her robes. Well, this was - different. The color was a bit loud, and the two pieces of the suit itself left little to the imagination, but they DID cover all the ah - right places.

"Five!"

"I've finished, you pesky louse! Just let me get this unbuttoned." Ginny jerked at the fastenings of her robe and spinning around, let the material fall to her feet.

"HOLY SHIT, WEASLEY!" Draco screamed, flailing backwards, he toppled and vanishing below the churning water. Breaching the surface like a whale a second later, and blowing water from his nose, he pointed an accusing finger, "You should at least have the decency to give a wizard some warning!"

Ginny stared down at her body,which was now clad in a French-cut bikini of neon lime. "What!" she insisted.

Draco staggered to the pool wall. "Nothing to signal your intent, just POW! Right out there in my face! I mean, tits, a cute little innie... legs and... more legs. Oh, gods, Ginny!" he moaned before his face brightened and he eagerly leaned closer. "Turn around. I want to check out your ass."

"I most certainly will NOT turn around!" Ginny kicked her feet free from the entangling robe, wishing it was the now smirking face of her tormentor. Stepping closer, she hissed, "You are the one who insisted I Transfigure my knickers, for crying out loud. What did you think I had on under there? My Aunt Tessie's bloomers?"

His response was to wrap his arms about her knees and toss her over his shoulder into the water.

She came up screaming like a wet cat. "You loathsome prat!" she ranted through the tangle of rust that filled her face. Scraping the hair from her eyes, she leveled the chortling wizard with a heated glare. "I still have my shoes on, you idiot!"

Draco leaned his shoulders against the wall and rested his arms along the tiled edge. His smile was as bright as the gleam in his eyes. "They will dry, Weasel."

"They are leather, you idiot!"

He sobered slightly. "Okaaaaaay. They will dry - stiff?"

"Aghhhhhhhhhh!" the witch screamed, plowing through the water, and dousing her companion's face liberally. She reached the wall and shoving Malfoy aside, heaved herself upwards. Seated on the rim, she fought to bring her water-logged feet into view.

"Here," Draco insisted quietly, "let me help." Over her grumbling protests he grabbed one slim ankle and raising her foot, placed the sole of her dripping black trainer against his chest. "I did not intend to drown your footwear," he stated, and grinned as she merely huffed in reply. Plucking at the sodden shoestrings, he continued, "Look, I am sorry. Forgive me?" He raised his eyes to hers.

Ginny fumed quietly as Draco worked at her laces. She wanted to rail at the aggravating wizard, smack him up-side his arrogant, silver head, but when she met his soft, pleading eyes she paused and her brow wrinkled. "How do you do that?" she sighed in vexation as he finally pulled the first shoe free. He skinned the dripping sock off and tossed both items upon the tiles.

"Do what?"

"Those big ol' puppy-dog eyes. Puppy-dogs don't have blue eyes, but you still manage to pull off the expression flawlessly." She allowed Draco to lift her other foot to his chest. "Pretty annoying, that."

Draco shrugged, a grin tugging at his lips as his fingers tugged at her laces. "Practice on my mum, I suppose." He could not keep his eyes from traveling up the long length of the witch's shin. The skin was smooth and lightly tanned. He encountered an ocean of freckles and noticed that her knee bore a scar, probably from a childhood tumble. He wanted to linger at her knee, he really did, but his roving eyes had other plans. He slowed the plucking of his fingers to permit his sinful orbs time to wander further up to where her crotch was surely waiting. Just a few more inches...

Ginny felt like her legs were on fire! She never realized water-soaked items could burn, yet Draco's hands were kindling a blaze along her dripping flesh, causing her to bite back a startled gasp of surprise and pleasure. She wanted to close her eyes and luxuriate in the sensations of warmth and tingling sweetness of his touch, but the habit of obsessive caution she had cultivated over the years fought against the rising desire. His voice broke into her confused mind.

"My gods, Gin!" he whispered, lowering her foot back into the water and stepping into the open V of her legs. His attention had been captured by the raised, angry looking, red welts that lined the insides of both of the witch's thighs. Ginny looked down and touched the areas gingerly. i Stupid horse/i

"Yea, stings a bit. Maybe the water with help."

Shaking his head, Draco spoke, "No, you need something else. This could get infected. Fetcher!"

b POP/b "Yes, Master Draco."

Ginny jumped as a wizened House Elf wearing a ratty pair of child's brief upon his bald head appeared at her side.

"Bring me Professor Snape's burn salve." Draco commanded.

"At once, Master Draco." the elf responded and vanished. He reappeared in the next instant, a blue ceramic jar clutched to his bony chest.

"What took you so long?" the wizard drawled, snatching the jar. His voice was sharp, but Ginny could see the increasingly familiar spark of fond play in his eyes as he addressed his servant. Prying off the lid, Draco filled his cupped fingers with a large scoop of the vessel's creamy, white contents. He glanced up at Ginny, silently asking her permission before applying the soothing mixture to her skin. He felt and saw the shiver that ran from the point of contact at his fingers and flew in either direction along the rest of her frame. Her physical response was like a kick in the gut, but the low, nearly inaudible moan that escaped her lips went right to his groin.

"Well, youse see, Master Draco, Fetcher is first having to locate Leo and then we's is having to unlock Professor Snape's medicinal chest. Nasty piece of work, that was." The elf released a forlorn sigh. "All that was taking a bit of time." He turned his bulging green eyes to the young witch perched on the side of the pool. "Is the Young Miss being injured?"

Ginny pulled her attention from Draco's gently stroking fingers. "Um, yes, Fetcher, is it?"

The old Elf smiled a wrinkled smile and bobbed his head eagerly. "I am being Fetcher, yes, Young Miss. I am being Young Master Draco's personal House Elf." He spoke these words with obvious pride. "If I is not being too bold, Miss, but how is you come to be injured?"

"Stupid horse."

"Incompetent rider."

Ginny and Draco responded as one, their eyes meeting briefly, then hastily flying away from the contact. Draco removed his hands from her thighs and backed slowly from between her open legs. He rinsed his fingers in the pool, keeping his gaze fixed upon the task, while Ginny bit her bottom lip, wondering at her body's reaction to the blond wizard's touch.

His wrinkled brow creasing further, Fetcher nodded slowly. "Hm,well, I is hoping that you is feeling better soon, Young Miss. Is youse wanting anything more of Fetcher, Young Master? Food? Drink? Leo is not allowing Fetcher to do much in his master's house and I is being bored."

Young Master tossed the jar of burn ointment to the bony Elf. "Bored? Who gave you leave to be bored?" he snapped. "Take Miss Weasley's shoes and tend to them. She stupidly jumped into the water before removing her footwear." Both males ignored Ginny's short huff of irritation.

Fetcher bowed deeply. "I is being delighted to correct Young Miss' damage." Snatching up the single trainer, the Elf held it tightly to his chest along with the blue jar. He glanced around him searchingly. "Excuse Fetcher for his presumption, but there is usually more than one shoe, yes?"

"Yes, indeed." Draco agreed, fishing below the water and once more taking hold of Ginny's slender ankle. He made rapid work of the laces, pulling both sock and shoe off in one swift act. Chucking the items to the waiting Elf, Draco added, "A light meal would be agreeable. Perhaps some fruit as well. Miss Weasley and I will dine here. That will be all."

"Very good, sir," Fetcher responded and vanished with a soft i POP/i

The climate in the pool house was one of the moist calm before the rain.

"You had better let that set a bit," Draco's voice rumbled like low, gently thunder. He gestured to Ginny's splayed thighs, causing the witch to become suddenly self-conscious of her pose. She brought her legs closer together, mindful of Draco's lingering touch.

"So," Ginny began after an awkward silence, "did I really see a pair of boy's knickers on your Elf's head?"

Draco grinned wickedly, sliding to the pool's edge and hefting himself from the water. Sitting beside the witch, letting his long legs dangle in the water near her own, he answered. "You did, indeed."

"And may I ask, why is he wearing boy's underthings as a hat?" Ginny glanced to the wizard by her side from the corner of her eye, a smile pulling at her pink lips.

"You may, indeed." Draco teased, looking away from the witch, his own lips fighting for control of his expression.

Ginny waited a full three heart beats before bumping the vexing wizard hard with her shoulder. "Well?" she insisted.

Draco turned in her direction, his silver-blue stare outlined in barely contained mirth. "I tried to give him clothes."

Her mouth fell wide for a split second before she responded by laughing and shoving him viciously with both hands. "Get i outta /i here! You're having me on."

"No, really, it is true." Draco defended with a chuckle as he righted himself. "The little wanker went ratting on me to Father one too many times, so I decided to get rid of him once and for all."

Ginny placed her hands palm down on the cold floor behind her and leaned into a stretch that caused Draco's balls to groan.

"Go on with you! I am expected to believe that Draco-I-don't-sweat-I-glisten-Malfoy, wanted to free a House Elf?"

"Well, I was only three at the time and had yet to come into the full appreciation of my rightful place in the world." Oooo, how he wished she would do that stretch again!

"Ok, Malfoy, I'll suspend my disbelief of your take on reality for the moment. Now, tell me what happened."

Draco butt-walked closer to the reclining witch, his eyes fixed upon her own dancing brown lamps. He leaned in as if sharing a horrible secret. "Well, Fetcher was Father's personal valet-in-training. His old Elf was getting up in years, so they brought in this new recruit from the kitchens.The promotion must have gone right to his knobby, hairless head, because the little swot was always trying to get into Father's good graces by snitching on me every chance he got. I could not draw a crooked breath without Lucius finding out."

"You were only three!" Ginny insisted, "how much trouble could you have been getting into?" Draco gave her a mocking frown. "Ok, stupid question. You were born evil. Please continue."

The blond rolled his eyes. "Anyway," he sighed as if wounded, "after one particularly painful dressing down from the old man, I decided that the Elf had to go. I did not yet own a wand, so cursing him was out of the question and all of the sharp implements in the house had been put under a rather nasty ward after that incident with the parlor bell-pull and Mother's poodle. Potions were iffy. At three, I was not absolutely sure what would effect House Elves."

Ginny stared at him in shock. "You were mixing potions at three?"

"Of course. I am a Malfoy. Now must you keep interrupting?"

"Sorry."

"Accepted. The solution to my problem came to me one evening while I was in my bath. I recall spying my soiled garments laying on the bathing room floor, and was struck by inspiration. Crawling from the tub, I summoned Fetcher. As soon as he appeared, I was upon him." Draco trailed off, his face relaxed inside the memory.

Ginny observed him for a second, watching as drops of water leaked from his fair hair and slowly made their way down his lean cheeks. She prompted him with a slight nudge with her shoulder. "So, did you win?"

"You might say...it was a draw. You see, the sounds of our Battle Royal brought Father and Mother running. Can you imagine their shock at finding their only child and heir, wet and naked, attempting to wrestle a screaming House Elf into a pair of dirty knickers?"

Ginny threw back her head and howled.

Draco could not suppress his responding grin. "Yes, I just bet you can at that."

Flapping a hand in his direction, Ginny urged him to continue, barely able to speak through her laughter. "So, what happened next?"

"It took some time for my parents to separate the two of us, impassioned as we were. I believe Father resorted to hexing. I do recall my bottom stinging something fierce." He paused with a dramatic sigh that caused Ginny to roll her eyes. "Of course there were explanations called for, carefully constructed lies and omissions, on my part, actually. Father finally squeezed the truth from me, and Fetcher," he added the last smugly. "As punishment for his duplicity, Fetcher was forced to serve ME, all the while wearing my house colors, as it were." She was shocked to see a small tinge of pink rising on Malfoy's ears.

"And your punishment?" Ginny asked, nearly breathless with anticipation.

"For presuming that I had the authority to release a House Elf, I was forced to accept his service."

Ginny shrugged, disappointed with the ending of his tale. "Doesn't sound all that bad. I mean, you ended up with a bound slave."

Draco waggled his index finger under her freckled nose. "Uh-uh-uh, Weasley. You forget how we felt about one another."

"Ahhh, yes," Ginny nodded. "Sort of like two cats tied up in a sack."

"Indeed." The wizard agreed. "Took us forever to come to some sort of understanding. Oh, I could order him to do all manner of nasty things, but he was also able to hex me at the most inopportune moments. Any complaints made to Mother or Father were ignored. Fetcher was, after all, my property."

"So, what happened?"

Draco mimicked Ginny's earlier shrug. "We finally agreed to disagree."

"Sort of like us," the witch murmured, swirling her legs slowly in the cool water.

"Are we tied in a sack, Ginny?" Malfoy inquired, the dark pewter rings around his pupils giving his gaze a deeper meaning.

"You wish!" Ginny snapped before bringing her arms up and diving into the water. Draco caught the resulting splash full in the chest and face. With an evil grin that promised retribution, he followed in her wake.

Ginny moved through the water like an otter, her long red hair streaming behind her flashing form like fiery strands of sea kelp. Draco reached out to grasp her ankle, but with a flick of her legs, the witch was gone.

i Damn, she's fast/i

Ginny darted for the deep end of the pool, her early years of rough and tumble outdoor play with her brothers paying off in spades as she left Malfoy with nothing to stare at but bubbles. She came to the surface briefly to pull in a gulp of air, then kicked strongly towards the bottom. Turning her head this way and that, Ginny scanned her blue and yellow rippled world. Sound reverberated hollowly on her eardrums and she focused her attention, trying to locate the source. Seeing Draco emerge from the azure gloom, she flashed him a smile and upending herself, went deeper.

The wizard recognized the invitation to play and gave pursuit, his long lean legs kicking strongly, propelling his body, just as his heart propelled his desire. He caught up with the sleek witch on the very bottom, where the daylight was dim and those beams that did reach the tiled floor were thin as the strings that held the tiny excuse for a swim suit to her body. She was suspended, a pale gleaming pendent, her hair floating in a corona around her body, her toes barely touching the bottom. Brown eyes glittering strangely, she allowed him to swim closer. He circled her like a shark, his teeth shining blue-white, while she slowly paddled with her hands to keep him within her sight. In the near silence, they regarded one another until, hesitantly, Ginny reached out and stroked his cheek. If Draco could have sighed under water, he surely would have expelled all his breath. As it was, he leaned into her touch and allowed his eyes to drift close, savoring the contact.

i Big mistake/i He admonished himself as he struggled mightily to reach the surface without sucking in a lung full of pool water. The feel of Ginny's tiny feet in his solar plexus as she used him for a spring board for her journey upwards, burned across his skin and he cursed himself for a gullible fool. He broke the surface with a strangled roar, shaking the water from his eyes. Ginny's laughing face was bobbing not far away. The delightful sound echoed from the glass, the tile and the water, seeming to multiply her delight with herself.

"You witch!" he gasped wetly, "I could have drowned!"

"Well, you didn't, you big baby," Ginny pouted prettily. "You need to stay alert." With another impish grin, she vanished.

"Alert," Draco nodded firmly. "Need to stay alert." Gulping a mouthful of air he went in search of his prey.

Fetcher returned sometime later, Ginny's freshly dried, magically softened trainers in his bony hands, and trays of carefully prepared finger-foods, a selection of summer wines and a bucket of never-melting ice, floating beside him. Over the screams, howls of laughter and shrieks of delighted outrage, the skinny House Elf set the table for two, carefully spreading the starched cloth and placing each utensil i just so. /i He smiled as a particularly maddened howl erupted from the pool, followed by frantic splashing and a whoop of triumph, rattled the glass panes of the bath house. With a thoughtful glance at the struggling pair in the water, Fetcher snapped his fingers. A crystal bud vase appeared in the center of the table, a rose the color of an Autumn sunset erupting from its fluted mouth. With a nod of satisfaction, the elf vanished.

Ginny released another glass rattling screech as Draco tossed her high into the air. She impacted the water with a stinging slap and immediately flipped into a powerful overhanded stroke that sent her speeding once more to her launch site. Draco saw her coming, and judging from her last, abbreviated shriek, knew the witch was likely bent on revenge. She was quick in the water, he had to give the witch that, and damned nasty to boot. She hadn't held back as she pushed his head repeatedly under during the course of their play. For all her small size, the Weasley was as strong as a little French pony. He felt her nails sliding along the bottom of his foot as she reached out for him. Flipping easily, Draco pushed the water from his path and beat a bee-line for the bottom. Ginny was too swift, however, and she grabbed a handful of his free-floating hair. Wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his throat, she rode the Slytherin like a sea-horse. Draco struggled to rid himself of his silky burden by suddenly bucking for the surface, but she clung to him tenaciously. He wrapped his fingers around her wrists, and finally succeeded in wrestling the witch around to his front, her legs still wrapped securely about his waist. They struggled mightily against eachother as they rose, neither wanting to give ground. Draco barely had time to suck in a good breath before Ginny's hands pressed hard upon his broad shoulders, sending him once more into the drink.

Digging his fingers into her ribs, he tickled his attacker madly, hearing her laughter over the splashing tumult caused by their thrashing bodies. Unable to hold his breath any longer, the wizard pushed Ginny away. He raised a hand in truce as she made for him once more. "Give. Me. A. Rest. Woman!" he panted.

"What a wimp you are, Malfoy," Ginny sneered, though she paddled easily backwards, her brown eyes shining. "Thrashed by a i guuur-ril!" /i She flipped on to her back and floated face up. " I wish Ron could see this moment. You would never live it down."

But Draco was not listening to her boastful words, for when Ginny's body bobbed to the surface his entire world went into vapor lock. Sometime during their last playful struggle, Ginny's bikini top had shifted drastically and one pale, coral tipped breast could clearly be seen rising above the ripples like some fantastical fairy island. He longed to swim there, throw himself down upon that soft shore and kiss the ground. As it was, he simply bobbed, a mirage-struck  
cast-away, his mouth agape.

"I always figured you for a weakling, all that fair hair and blue eyes. You wanna hear a Blond Joke? I got a million of 'em." Ginny paused in her baiting, wondering what was keeping Malfoy from pulling her to the floor of the pool and sitting on her face. She cracked one eyelid. Yep, he was still there, treading water, but what got her attention was the absolutely gob-smacked expression on his normally sanguine face. Gracefully, she turned and moved closer. "Malfoy?" she breathed, concern furrowing her brow. Had she injured him with that last maneuver? He followed her approach, his eyes growing wider and wilder the nearer she swam. "Draco, are you hurt? If you are faking, I am going to make you sorry. You know that...

Draco shook his head, clearing the roar of rushing blood from his ears. Ooo, he was going to be in sooooo much trouble. "Look, Ginny, I know you are going to blame me for this, and no matter what I say I will never be able to make you believe that..."

"What ARE you going on about?" Ginny demanded.

"...so I might has well get my ass chewed off for a Galleon as well as a Knut," he admitted. "And just tell you..."

"What?" Ginny barked and then gasped as the smoky glow of his eyes left hers and traveled below the water.

"...that you have the sweetest little titty I have ever seen."

Her eyes flew to her revealed chest and with a huff of disgust, spun away from now grinning Draco. Her face and ears stinging with embarrassment, Ginny adjusted the wet fabric all the while muttering under her breath. "Wizards! Every DAMN one of them the same. Show them a nipple and every son of Adam looses what little bit of sense... YOU," she hissed over her shoulder, "should have said something sooner!"

Draco doggie paddled to her and, trying hard to hide just how effected he had been by her unintentional peep-show, peered over her shoulder. "Aww, all tucked away. Shame. Like I said, that has to be the sweetest little..."

She whirled on him. "Don't you say it!" Tossing her sopping curls, she added loftily, "And they are not little."

Feeling boldness move through him like the proverbial bull in the china shop, Draco placed light hands on her waist and drew her closer, their churning legs brushing, stroking, sliding against eachother. "You are correct. Your breasts are perfection made flesh." He grinned wickedly. " I could write poems about your breasts, poems that would cause the bards of old to weep with envy." He watched her lips curl slightly, though her eyes continued to fire off sparks . "If you would but allow, Ginny, I shall build a temple to your breasts. No! I shall build TWO temples, one apiece." His hands were creeping up her water-slicked ribs, the thumbs moving in slow circles over her skin. Her own hands had somehow found their way to his shoulders, resting there, twitching, as if uncertain of their next move. Her face was lifted to his, and as if drawn in by a spell, he moved closer. "I would worship your breasts, Ginny," he breathed across her cheek. "With my hands, my lips, my tongue..."

She slid through his fingers like oil, and too late, he recognized the sensation of silk gliding down his legs and being tugged from his kicking feet. "You vile witch! Give those back this instant."

Ginny's head and shoulders appeared in the shallows, the band of Draco's blue boxers laying over her forehead. The dripping legs hung from her temples like sad, azure ears. "Oooo, look at me! I'm a House Elf! Please don't makes me iron my hands, Young Master!" the witch whined in her best Dobby voice.

"Weasley," Draco said as he glided closer, "you are wearing my drawers on your head."

"I know," Ginny leered, i actually leered/i l "and they are still warm."

"You are a sick individual." He had reached the blue-topped witch, and continuing on past her, waded to the stairs. He could almost hear her eyes creaking as they expanded in her skull. With grace in every stride, Draco exited the pool and snatching up a towel, rubbed vigorously at his dripping hair.

"Have you no shame?" Ginny gasped.

Tossing the towel over one shoulder, Draco turned fully in the direction of that startled voice. "Why should I?"

Ginny knew her face was redder than her hair at the moment and she could feel the water temperature drop as heat singed its way over her entire body. Despite her commands, those traitorous eyes of hers would not shut or remove themselves from their study of the nude wizard before them. She had seen naked men before. BOYS, her salivating brain prodded, and your brothers at that. Well, you couldn't grow up in a house full of wizards and not catch a glimpse of naked maleness from time to time, but i this... /i , this was nothing like looking at her brothers. Draco's legs were finely muscled, lean and long, and covered in fine, golden hair. Narrow hips framed a thatch of dark blond hair that curled wildly around his flaccid sex. i He's' uncircumcised, i Ginny noted in that part of her brain that miraculously continued to function, i and very pretty. /i

Draco observed the witch just as closely as she did him. Her cheeks glowed with dismayed heat, but those eyes, her coffee eyes, told him the real story. He had gambled heavily, he knew, by walking from the pool as he did. The idea had suddenly apparated into his mind and he had acted upon it without thought or consideration as to Ginny's likely reaction. He had cursed himself even as he relied on his flippant response to defuse the moment. She could have dissolved into her madness or thrown herself towards her wand for protection. And yet, she had done neither. She simply stood waist deep in the water, wearing his knickers on her head, face flaming, while her eyes roamed with curious fascination over his body. He summoned a fluffy, white bathrobe, casually slipping it around his dripping torso, anxious to hide his body's reaction to her wide-eyed gaze.

Ginny blinked. i Oooo! It's gone/i

Imaginings and sensations that she had never thought she should be allowed to experience flooded the witch's mind and body. A tingling ache had bloomed in that secret place between her legs, that place Tom Riddle had violated and Ginny had cursed violently during her teenage years. For quite some time now, Ginny had been fighting a loosing battle at ignoring the flares of heat that filled her lower belly whenever a certain wizard put in an appearance. Now, the scalding flood of blood that rushed into her swelling folds radiated out into the rest of her body and Ginny felt her heart begin to pound, not in fear, but with an exciting, breath robbing emotion the young red-head could barely understand.

While Draco busied himself pouring out the wine, Ginny waded to the stairs, slowly pulling the blue boxers from her head. Unsure of her welcome, she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. "Umm, here," she mumbled, extending the hand that held the sodden wad of silk.

Draco glanced over his shoulder. "Toss them over there. The Elves will take care of them. Wine?" At her shrugging nod, he filled a second goblet and turned to place the chilled beverage in her hand.

"Thank you." She looked at him fiercely then huffed in frustration. "Look, I'm sorry about snatching off your drawers like that." Ginny's eyes pleaded as her voice cracked. "I don't know what I was thinking. Well, actually I do, you see, we were having such a good time what with playing and everything, and you have been really nice, which is really weird, but in a good way so don't get me wrong, what I'm trying to say is that I guess I just got too comfortable, you know, like with my brothers, NOT that you remind me of THEM, but..."

"You are babbling, Weasley," Draco cut into her insane monologue.

"Yea," she admitted before hiding behind her cup. The wine was a soft blushing pink and her tongue wrinkled at its tart bite. Her companion watched as the witch looked anywhere but at him. Her eyes were slightly red from the pool, and if his fingers and toes were any indicator, hers would be equally shriveled and pale. Towering over the tiny woman as he did, Draco was able to take advantage of Ginny's cleavage, enjoying the round firmness of her small, perky breasts. He should have been disgusted with the splash of freckles that dotted the creamy mounds, but he could only bite down on urge to run his tongue over the cinnamon-like sprinkles. Her shoulders were covered with those same tiny brown specks and the wizard wondered if, given the time, he would ever be able to count them all.

"You are a very beautiful woman, Ginny Weasley."

Her head snapped back as she met his gaze. "What?"

"You heard me," he replied dryly. "It is true. "Do NOT do that!" He commanded as Ginny ducked her head and attempted to cover her exposed chest with her wine glass. With his free hand, he tilted her chin upwards until she had no excuse for not looking straight at him. "You are a beautiful woman. Hold your head up and accept the compliment as your rightful due."

"It just makes me uncomfortable when someone says stuff like that, you know," Ginny said lowly.

Draco snorted. "That is ridiculous." Releasing her, he plucked the shimmering rose from its vase. "Is this not a lovely flower?" he inquired of Ginny.

She smiled sweetly. "Yes, it truly is."

"Do you see this bloom cowering from your admiration and honest appreciation of its natural beauty?"

Ginny rolled her eyes but responded, "No, Draco."

"Take a lesson from this tender bloom, Ginny." He returned the rose to its vase and then placing one hand behind her dripping head, he pulled the witch to him, his face so close, she could taste his breath. "You are beautiful, Ginny Weasley," he whispered across her cheeks.

"So are you," she replied, wondering if he was about to kiss her and what her reaction sh...uh, would be. She could only stifle a moan of disappointment when Draco simply took her hand and led her to her place at the Elf-arranged table.

"Sit," the blond commanded.

"Could I at least have a towel for my hair?" Ginny groused, slightly stung that he had passed on the opportunity for kissing her. A casual sweep of his hand brought a voluminous robe and towel flying in her direction. She caught the items, and tossing the robe on her chair, bent at the waist and twisted the towel about her dripping head. Only when her body was wrapped in yards of absorbent cotton did Ginny follow his previous command to be seated. "I meant what I said just then, you know, about your drawers. I am sorry."

Draco shrugged, his eyes scanning the various dishes. "I am certainly not complaining, Weasel. However, if you wanted a peek at my privates, you had only to ask." He peered up through his damp fringe and flashed her a roguish grin. "I would never deny a lady." He chuckled as her brows slammed together. "Are you hungry?"

"You are impossible!"

"Yes, I know," the wizard responded then applied himself to piling his plate high with baked chicken wings. He licked the spicy juice from his fingers and noticing that the witch had yet to begin filling her own dish, plucked up several more wings and plopped them on her plate.

"Eww!" Ginny squealed, "you licked your fingers and then used them to touch my food!"

"Your point being?" he inquired in a bored tone, but the silver lights in his eyes belayed his mood.

"My point being," she replied slowly as if instructing a particularly dull child, "is that my food has now been contaminated with Malfoy spit." She poked the offending wings with her nail as if expecting them to suddenly eject spoors.

Draco folded his arms over his chest and slouched back with a huff. "I will have you know, Malfoy i saliva /i is of the highest quality."

"Hmm," Ginny responded, still poking the hapless meat, "is it spicy?"

"My saliva?"

"No, you git. The chicken!"

"Fairly."

"Well, maybe it will be hot enough to kill off any germs," Ginny finished by picking up a wing and taking a bite.

The remainder of the meal was filled with their own typical brand of polite dinner conversation.

"You must be kidding. I refuse to believe such a thing." Draco insisted, pouring them both another healthy glass of the wonderfully sparkling wine.

Ginny swallowed a bite of apple, nodding her head earnestly. "Nope, it's really true. Favorite song." Accepting her filled glass, she raised it to Draco's in another of their many toasts. "I have always had a thing for Muggle Christmas music. Played them all the time on this ancient Victrola Dad found. Used to drive my brothers barmy." She giggled at the memory at took a sip of the most excellent wine.

Draco frowned, and crossing his forearms on the table, leaned towards her. "Yet, is that not the song where the singer confesses to being too dim to even choose their own Christmas gift? I mean, really! Who would pass up the golden chance to make a haul? You are talking to the old man, you have his undivided attention, and you say 'I dunno, YOU pick for me.' A wasted opportunity, if you ask me."

"I think it is sweet," Ginny grinned, waving her finger in the air and beginning to trill, slightly off key, "Jolly Old St. Nicho..."

"No!" Draco waved a placating hand, "I implore you, do NOT sing."

She snorted into her wine. Wiping her face with a grease stained sleeve, Ginny gave him a level stare. "Now, your turn." Her brown eyes sparkled as wildly as the wine she was so freely imbibing.

"Sorry," the wizard responded, poking through the detritus of their meal for an overlooked scrap. "I do not have a favorite song." He drawled the last two words out as if they were particularly disgusting.

"Ok, favorite color."

"Green."

She rolled her eyes. "Spoken like a true snake. Come on, you gotta give me something. What about that scar?"

One brow shot ceiling-ward. "What scar?"

She rose unsteadily, and bracing a palm on the table, leaned over to poke his shoulder with one scarlet tipped nail. "THAT scar. Right THERE!" she announced with triumph. She had removed the towel from her head earlier and the tangled ends of her hair showed up like wine stains on the crisp table linen.

Draco sobered. "Battle scar."

"Funny, it being on the front. Figured any battle scars you possess would be on the rear!" Ginny whooped at her own wit.

"I will have you know, you pesky witch, I was fighting for my life against a most devious foe." Draco attempted a wounded expression as Ginny plopped dizzily once more into her chair.

"Yea, right! So, who was this 'moooooooooost deeeeeeeeeevious of foooooooooooooooooooooes?" she groaned, ghost-like.

"The Red-Headed Griffrat."

"The Red-Headed..." Ginny brought herself up short. "You're shitting me!"

"I shit you not." Draco replied.

"The Bat-Bogie Hex?" she gulped, wide eyed.

"The very one."

She was up and around the table before he could blink. Going to her knees by his chair and pulling the loose lapel of his robe to one side, Ginny studied the pearly white cluster of star shaped tissue that marred the otherwise tanned and flawless skin of Draco's shoulder. The wizard watched as her brow puckered and her face flushed red. She glanced at him, and he was shocked to see the start of tears welling in her eyes. Her lip trembled when she whispered, "I am so sorry, Draco." Leaning closer, she pressed her lips to his flesh. He felt her words breathed over his skin as she repeated the apology.

He ruffled her matted hair, while his cheeks burned with an untold emotion. "You have obviously had too much wine, Weasley."

She sniffed and scrubbed her face with her sleeve. "Yea, maybe so. Draco, I never knew I hurt you this bad!"

"Well, you were rather pissed at the time," he supplied as he rose, and taking her gently by the shoulders, pulled her to her feet.

"But in all the other times we fought..."

"Played," he corrected, staring into her splotchy, up-turned face.

"We never really hurt each-o-o-there!" Ginny wailed, burying her nose in the wizard's chest.

"Oh gods! You really are sloshed," Draco noted as he absentmindedly stroked the tangles on her scalp.

"I am horrible!" she continued to blubber, and Draco could feel, what he fervently hoped were tears, rolling between his nipples.

"I must remember not to let you drink so early in the day. You are a mess and do NOT even think about wiping your spotty nose on my robe!"

Ginny sniffled wetly while Draco curled his lip in disgust. "How can you be so nice to me, wh-when I marked you so badly?"

"You over estimate yourself, Weasel. It is one scar. Look, I know I am tired. The late night, the wine. I could really use a bit of a kip. What say we trot on up to the manor and take this up at a later time, hmmm?"

"You go on ahead," Ginny croaked as she slouched away from him and over to the mountain of white towels, "I'd never make it up all those bloody stairs." She collapsed into the pristine pile and rooted around like a puppy before finding a comfortable arrangement.

He sighed. She could be the most aggravating of witches! "You are telling me that you would rather flop on that pile of rags than walk your ass up to the manor and sleep in a decent bed?"

"Yep," was her muffled response.

"I can carry you," he offered, shuddering at his own thoughtfulness.

"N'," she whined, "s'ay errrrrrrrrr."

He pushed his chair roughly under that table and stomped over to where The Weasley lay sprawled loose limbed on her bed of terry. "Vexing, annoying, bloody daft witch!" he growled as he crawled over her unresponsive body and plunked himself on his side. He looped one arm about her waist and roughly tugged her into the curve of his body, before reaching behind him to drag more towels over them for warmth. Kicking and wriggling, he managed to to find a suitable nook. "Of all the sodding luck. Never figured you for a cheap date, Weasel." He gasped softly as her rump nudged against his groin.

"You are going to be the death of me, Ginny Weasley. The death." He raked her matted hair from one exposed cheek and kissed her soundly. " 'Night dear."

b I know! I know! You waited all this time and for what? Very little in the way of action. Sorry. I have more to this chapter but it needs some tweaking so I decided to put up this bit and work on the rest. I am sorry it takes me so long to update, but I am majorly insecure about my work. I pick each word with care, study each phrase 'til it nearly squeaks in frustration. I do hope you enjoy what I have given you. You waited long enough and I didn't want to keep you any longer. Love to you all and a Happy Easter! gotsnape /b


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 The Unwalked Road**

All standard disclaimers apply. SHE owns them all. If she knew what I was doing with this pair, she would probably have kittens.  
The title will be self explanatory.

Draco woke up alone, the late afternoon sun slanted over his terry cloth blanket, smothering him with heat. _Damn, she has flown!_ He rolled over, grunting, and shrugged free of the stifling softness. Rising to his feet, he made a quicksilver scan of the pool house. His eyes only confirmed his thoughts. Weasely's robe and wand were as absent as their owner, and the Slytherin wondered when and how far she had fled.

"Fetcher," Draco growled. He was instantly joined by the elf.

"Yes, Young M..."

"Where is Miss Weasley at present?" the wizard demanded, barreling over the skinny creature's salutation.

"The Young Miss is currently being in her rooms, sir," the elf replied, ducking his head, his usually muddy skin flushed red, leaving him with the appearance of a badly bruised tomato. "Is being in the shower at the present, sir," he whispered. Fetcher normally prided himself on the preciseness of his information, but now... the elf cringed, it was a bit too much.

The wizard's heart sighed in relief as he nonchalantly arranged his bunched robe. "Excellent," he advised his much smaller companion. "Inform Miss Weasley I would be greatly pleased if she would join me in the library in one hour's time."

"Will that be all, sir?" the elf dipped his head, his bulging eyes inquiring.

"She may be in need of a hangover potion. Make sure you deliver one to her with my regards," Draco added in a clipped tone, scavenging through the pile of towels for his wand.

"Very good, sir," Fetcher sighed, and quickly vanished.

Finally resorting to a Summoning charm and leaving the mess to be dealt with by the house elves, Draco exited the pool house and walked calmly to the manor, his mind full of his lovely house guest.

Releasing a sigh that started in her toes and exploded from her lips, Ginny relaxed beneath the heated rain of her shower. It never failed. Wine was her one true weakness. She had been known to drink her brothers and Harry under the tables on Firewhiskey, but give her a carafe of wine - POW! Turning into the spray, she allowed the tiny liquid hammers to pelt her face, chiseling away the wall of suffering brought on by her over indulgence in the pool house. The sick headache began to disintegrate, slowly chipped loose from her scalp, falling into her shoulders, retreating reluctantly under the scalding barrage. Ginny knew the pull-back was merely a feint. There would be a rallying of the forces of pain, and the attack would be renewed the moment she stepped from her sauna-like closet. Fuzzy brained, she pondered the capacity of Snape's hot water cistern. Perhaps, with luck, she would have enough heated bliss to last her the remainder of the day.

Stumbling woolly headed and thick tongued from the pool house, the memories of she and Draco's time together sloshing in her brain, Ginny had been able to focus only on her physical discomfort. Now, with the gray once more gelling within her skull and her stomach rethinking its options of remaining on the job or taking up residence elsewhere, the witch was capable of a more detailed study of the wine-diluted pool party.

What could have possibly possessed her to behave in such a loose manner? For possession was all it could have been? Right? The youngest child of the proud Weasley clan did not frolic half clothed with the son of their enemy, did not shriek with laughter and shout obscenities, did not rip the clothes from same said enemy's son, and CERTAINLY did not cuddle in abandon upon a bed of towels with...

It was the wine. Had to be. Would Draco believe such an excuse?

What must he be thinking about her at this moment? Not that she really cared, mind you.

Damn! Damn! And damn some more!

With a groan, Ginny switched off the water. The sudden absence of scalding hammers brought her hangover back with a vengeance. Blind with pain and nausea, she staggered from the bathroom, barely able to wrap herself within the absorbent cotton of her robe. Hair dripping, she collapsed face first on the bed. Maybe, if she prayed hard enough, she would be allowed to die of suffocation. She ignored the slight jolt of the mattress, but couldn't contain her growl of anguish when Nala's bird-like twittering shattered her eardrums.

"Young Miss?" the elf chirped, "there is being a message from the Young Master for youse."

"Ow ay!" Young Miss whined.

"There is being a potion as well, Young Miss."

Ginny stiffened then rolled her face from the duvet. "A potion?" she inquired. Maybe! Just maybe! Oh please let it be!

Nala knelt on the bed, her lace bow sagging slightly, a sliver tray balanced on her open palms. Ginny pushed with her hands and raised her chest slightly to get a better view. On the tray was a cream colored card and ... Blessed be! A blue vial. With shaking fingers, the witch reached for the potion, her expression one of reverence. She clutched it to her chest as if it were a precious child and sat back on her calves. Prying the stopper free with her teeth, and barely taking the time to spit the cork from her lips, she tipped the foul tasting, wonderfully bitter brew down her throat.

Redemption!

Relief flowed through her system. The angry hangover demons scowled, but shouldered their weapons of war and vanished. Her tortured stomach subsided, recanting its previous demands to be relocated elsewhere. Ginny felt like a new witch. "Gods, how I love magic," she whispered, returning the vial to Nala and picking up the stiff card. Her eyes flew over the short missive, her teeth worrying at her bottom lip.

_Would you do me the honor of sharing tea? The library, one hour._

"Nala, may I ask you a favor?" Ginny inquired of the tiny elf, hope cracking in her voice. Why was she even considering this? Why did she even care what Malfoy thought.

Yet she did care.

"Oooo!" the elf squealed, "a question of Nala? Of course, Young Miss! Asks me anything. I is being eager to answer."

"Well," Ginny attempted to hold down her own rising excitement, "are house elves able to perform Transfiguration spells?"

Nala nimbly jumped to the floor, her face radiating joyous expectation. "Oh yes, Young Miss! House elves is being able to do such. Is you wanting something Transfigured, Young Miss?"

The witch left the bed to squat before the trembling elf. _You want to dress up for Malfoy_, Ginny berated herself, then stopped. She was sounding too much like Ron, and that would never do. "You see, Nala, I haven't anything to wear to something as nice as tea with Young Master. I would do the spell myself, but it usually doesn't last very long.

Nala clapped her skinny hands, nearly dancing with happiness. "Nala is being very good at Transfiguration, Young Miss, learned it from Nala's own mother, and she is being the very best. House elf magic lasts and lasts."

Ginny rose and crossing to the hamper, pulled out one faded, blue robe, holding it up for the elf's inspection. "Think you could do something with this?"

The elf's eyes narrow in thought, and she stroked her pointed chin as she walked in a slow circle around the witch.

Smoothing her hands over the sapphire silk, Ginny appraised her reflection in the full length mirror. The magically altered robes were stunning in their simplicity. "Ladies is not having frills before dusk, Young Miss," Nala had advised sagely, and the gown presently hanging from Ginny's shoulders reflected the elf's wisdom. Material of the deepest blue whispered about her body, flaring out gently from the empire waistline. Ribbons of silver puckered the sleeveless garment at her shoulders and dangled down her upper arms. The elf had worked her magic on the witch's hair as well, combing out the tangles and arranging the red mass into a high, elegant tail before curling the strands into shining copper coils that hung down her back. A dusting of powder evened out Ginny's freckled skin and a touch of gloss made her already pink lips shine.

"Oh, this is nice," Ginny complemented her lady's maid, causing the giddy elf to nearly faint with pleasure. Whirling from the mirror, the witch asked anxiously, "Do I look ok? I mean, I don't look like some little witch playing dress up in her mum's robes, right?"

"Ooo! Youse is lovely! The color is being prefect. Young Master is going to be very pleased."

"Nala!" Ginny scoffed, "I am NOT dressing up for Dr...Young Master. Sometimes a girl just wants to look nice, you know? Sort of a boost to the ol' ego?"

The elf busied herself arranging and rearranging the flowing, sapphire folds. "Of course, Young Miss. I is understanding. Oh yes, Young Master will be very pleased!"

Eyes the color of cold steel flicked up briefly when Ginny entered the cool dimness of the library. With curt fingers, he directed the witch towards a small circular table bearing a tea service. He had been perusing a thick curl of parchment upon her arrival and he quickly returned his attention to his work.

While not the least bit puzzled by Draco's abruptly chill greeting; he was an arrogant prick and as moody as a menopausal veela after all, she had difficulty justifying the tiny knot of hurt his behavior brought to her throat. Keeping her gaze level, the witch, silently navigated to the tea table and placed herself into the unwelcoming embrace of a nearby horsehide sofa, only to immediately slide to the carpeted floor. Cheeks stinging, the witch lurched to her feet and eyed the couch curiously. Seeing nothing amiss with the gleaming, dun surface, she adjusted her gown and settled in once more. Relaxing into the backrest, Ginny felt her hips slide forwards until she was slumped ungracefully on the brick hard cushions. Eyes of nutmeg cut swiftly in the direction of her silent host to find him still deeply engrossed with the roll of parchments, oblivious to her dismay.

Thinking that surely there must be an approach that allowed one to remain seated upon the unstable surface of brown hair, Ginny braced her palms against the glistening hide and adjusted her hips. By pointing her toes she was able to maintain contact with the sofa back, but the prolonged stretch soon had the muscles of her shins burning for relief. _Stupid horse!_ she mentally growled with a heat equaled only by the flames settling around her ankles.

Easing up on the pressure being applied to the carpet only caused her butt to begin its slow ooze towards the cushion's edge. "Damn!" she whispered, deciding to perch, spine erect, upon the sofa's rigid precipice. Feet firmly planted at right angles to her shins, Ginny waited, poised, for the damnable seat to take further action against her.

Nothing.

Good.

Sighing in triumph she turned slightly, her lips begging for the balm of tea, dark, rich, and heavily laced with cream. The service at her side was of a heavy silver with clean, utilitarian lines, devoid of unnecessary scroll work or design. Function over frippery, Ginny mused, how like Severus. Reaching for the fat bellied pot, she gasped in dismay when the unctuous piece of furniture once more took up its efforts to repel her person from its slippery, mud colored self. As her hip was about to tip over the brink, Ginny lurched to her feet, deciding to serve herself while standing. Again, her eyes flicked to her companion, but he was reclining in his leather chair, his feet, encased in gleaming black leather, were crossed carelessly on top of Snape's desk. If he had noticed her sudden urge to stand, he gave no indication, so intent was he upon his reading.

Ginny poured her tea, the brown stream steaming as it pooled in her cup. After lightening the liquid liberally with the cream provided, she glared at the offending sofa, determined to beat this dead horse thoroughly. Her features blank, she studied the couch, seeking out its weakest points. The seat was deep, bracketed on either side of its length with high armrests done in the same heavy oak and horsehair. _Damned hideous thing,_ she reflected. _Tossed one to many riders, I'd wager. See where it got you? Reduced to several pots of glue and a bloody awful piece of home accouterments_. She tossed her head at the offending piece. _I should inform Bella of your dismal fate. Bet she comes around right quick like_.

The sofa remained silent under her gimlet stare. Not to be out done by a piece of furniture, the red head plopped her bum down firmly against an armrest, at the same time bending her knees and planting her slippered feet hard into the unyielding cushions. _Go ahead!_ Ginny smirked, _unseat me now!_ The couch was still, and the witch could almost feel it plotting its next move. Digging her heels into the hide covered seat, she wiggled her butt more securely into place. When she lounged on, without further assault, Ginny gave herself a brisk nod and took a celebratory sip from her cup.

Across the room, argent eyes had observed her battle with well concealed mirth. Their interlude in the pool house had left the former Slytherin eager for more contact with his fiery haired companion, and he questioned the wisdom of his desire. There was no chance of a future for them. Even the bonds of friendship would be denied them once their seclusion came to its end. Their paths lay in very different directions, for very different reasons. Once they had retired to their respective lives, their three days together would become history, never to be shared with anyone. To do so would bring only shame to the youngest Weasley, and for him...

But damn, she was funny. Even now, thinking herself the victor, Ginny's sly upholstered opponent made its next move, and Draco was hard pressed not to bark out in laughter as the witch's red curls sank slowly, like an autumn sun, behind the high back of the couch. Hearing her snarl of anger, he tossed his work aside and folded his fingers upon his stomach. "It is not meant for actual use, Weasley," he called to his vanished guest.

Ginny's freckled face popped into view, her cheeks flaming and her brows drawn tighter than a goblin's purse strings. "What the hell good is it, then?" she snapped back.

"That," he responded in a bored tone and an elegant wave of one hand, "is a piece of art. It is to be admired for its aesthetically pleasing lines, the perfection of its form. It is an ornament, existing only to bring pleasure by its beauty, much like a fine painting or sculpture."

During his lecture, Ginny had fought herself free of the sofa and now stood, her skirts held wide, the front of her frock soaked through with tea. "That's a bloody crock, this is Severus' house, after all!" she huffed, angry at herself for not recognizing _art_ and embarrassed by the spreading evidence of her clumsiness.

With a chuckle, Draco placed his feet on the floor and stood. "You are correct. Snape uses it to discourage unwanted guests." He moved closer, pulling his wand from his sleeve. "Can't imagine many would bother to stick around for long if the professor had them sitting on this monstrosity. Here, allow me to see to your robes. They are quite charming, by the way."

"As if you noticed!" she quipped, then snapped her lips shut, chagrined to have revealed so much to the wizard.

Draco corrected the damage to her gown, then glancing through the fringe of pale moonlight that seemed to forever hang over his eyes, whispered, "Oh, I noticed, little weasel."

Ginny's cheeks pinked further, and she fumbled for words that would not come. Her skittering eyes finally lit on the tea service. Relieved to find some occupation for her suddenly flustered self, she inquired in a small voice, "Would you like for me to pour you some tea?"

Taking her hand, Draco led her back to his desk, and pulling a nearby arm chair closer still, placed the witch upon the seat. He braced his hands on the armrests and leaned into her personal space. His features were serious, but Ginny detected the familiar spark of fun in his silver eyes. "I have no desire to bathe in Earl Grey. I will serve." He departed and soon returned with the tea.

Ginny accepted her cup with a wicked grin. "I shall have to fetch you a tea towel and cozy. You will make someone a lovely house elf." She had observed him carefully as he handled the implements, his fingers, long and lean, his features soft in the fading sunlight. That same shock of blond hair now swayed gently with his movements, and his lips, those oh so soft lips, were pursed slightly as he concentrated on his task.

"I know from which opening to pour. Do you think me so completely helpless?" he responded, taking his own cup and returning to his seat.

She shrugged. "Not really. You just surprise me, is all."

"How so?" Draco pressed, hiding his eagerness for her opinion. He stared into her nutmeg hued eyes, holding her fixed.

Another shrug was her response. Shaken, Ginny tore her attention from his handsome face, those melting silver eyes that seemed to call her, pull her...

"Severus has a lovely home," she stated, simply for a change in topic.

Draco allowed her the shift. He noticed the way her eyes had been locked to his features, had examined his every movement, the way her breath had hitched just so slightly as their fingers touched when he gave her her cup. He remembered her heated, yet innocent, fascination with his nakedness earlier and warmth began to pool in his gut. He knew it was wrong, wrong for both of them, but he had wanted her for so long. _Just a touch,_ he begged silently, _just a taste! Would that be so bad?_

The silence became comfortable as Ginny continued to gaze at her surroundings, and Draco drank in the sight of the witch.

"What were you reading?" she inquired suddenly, breaking the calm. "Or am I being too nosy?"

Draco wagged a chiding finger, the corners of his fine lips curling slightly. "You are indeed being nosy, but at the moment, I am feeling generous and will indulge you childish curiosity." He plucked the thick wad of parchment from the desk and tossed it into her sapphire covered lap.

Polishing off the last of her tea, Ginny set the cup aside. Picking up the sheets, she perused the first page before flicking quickly to the next. Draco helped himself to a second cup. As he reclined back into his chair, Ginny cocked an inquiring brow in his direction.

"It is a financial statement," he informed her, "this last quarter, to be exact. It is an explanation of expenditures and..."

"I know what a financial statement is, you great ass," she interrupted with a smile. "It looks like you are doing pretty well for yourself."

From behind the rim of his cup, the wizard smirked evilly. "S'not mine."

Confused, Ginny asked, "Then whose..."

Leaning forward, he tapped the top of the first page and watched as Ginny's frowned. "The Misses St. Catchpole? What? Are you stealing funds from little old spinster witches now?"

"You are always so bloody willing to think the worst of me, aren't you?" Draco laughed. "I imagine after we are together for fifty years, you would continue to suspect my every move."

"Too right!" she replied hotly, still studying the parchment, not hearing her partner's nearly silent sigh of relief when he realized she had missed his major slip. "So, you are helping this ladies with their investments, correct?"

"Yes, I am. Does that surprise you?"

She captured him with her snapping brown eyes filled with laughter. "I imagine after we are together for fifty years, you will continue to surprise me, Draco Malfoy."

_Damn, but she is quick!_ The wizard crowed mentally.

"So, what service do you perform for the Misses St. Catchpole?" Ginny asked, while her brain wriggled over the surname. Could the pair possibly be from her own corner of the wizarding world, and if so, why had she never heard of them? A pair of spinster witch sisters with such an unusual name would have surely been mentioned by the family before now. "Hold on a minute!" the witch blurted, catching the way the corners of Draco's eyes crinkled as realization swamped her mind. Flipping once more to the first page, she read aloud, her voice brittle with amazement, "Urethra and Uranus St. Catchpole? Those idiots! They've pulled some really stupid stunts in their time, but this takes the bloody cake!"

Draco frowned with her words, his pride stung. This was not the reaction he wanted. "You think I am stealing from them, then?" he questioned, shocked to find his cheeks stinging with indignation.

"You're dirty rich! What good would it do you, and besides, where is the challenge, right?" Ginny flapped her hand in dismissal, her amber eyes glued to the pages. "I'm more worried those two would have snookered you out of a couple thousand Galleons."

Draco felt his skin flare. "Do you take me for a fool, weasel? We have an actual contract spelling out the exact details of our relationship. I happen to know what I am doing."

Ginny grinned as she laid the parchment aside. "You're just too easy, you know that?" When Draco merely folded his arms and scowled darkly, the witch collapsed back into her chair, her laughter making the chamber seem brighter. "Oh, don't pout. Didn't your mum ever tell you it would cause wrinkles?" When the wizard continued in his brown funk, she reached out with a slippered foot and gave his shin a good poke. "What's the matter? I can steal your knickers and you act like it happens every day, but let me say something about being had by my brothers and you frost over like an ice mole. What gives?"

The look he turned upon Ginny wiped the grin from her face. "You insulted my intelligence," he stated in a biting tone. "Has it not occurred to you that perhaps, just maybe, I know what I am doing when it comes to making money? Did you even notice the amount on those quarterly reports? There are commas tucked amongst those numerals, for Merlin's sake!"

Silence fell between them, the reality of their words and the power they wielded sinking into both of their minds.

Ginny folded her hands meekly, but her eyes remained fixed on the blond wizard seated stiffly before her. "Draco," she began slowly, "I am sorry. You are right, each of us has a point where the teasing must stop. I didn't set out to do so, but I guess I found yours. Again, I am sorry."

The wizard nodded curtly, shocked at his response to her taunting. he had wanted her to be pleasantly surprised by his financial finesse, proud that even her own brothers were benefiting from his skill. And when she had doubted him, teased him, well, that particular sting was like nothing he had ever experienced before, and he wondered how this tiny witch had come to possess such power over his emotions.

"Apology accepted, and just to be on the safe side, what is your stopping point, Ginny?"

She refused to allow the flush of color that tinted her chest and neck to rise any further. It had happened too many times in the past to permit now. Her chin lifted, Ginny answered calmly, "The Chamber. Don't ever tease me about that."

"Never," he managed around the straining muscles of his throat. Because he just had to know, he added quickly, "Have others done that, teased you about- that time?"

Without flinching, she replied, "Oh yea, it was just too good to let lay, you know? Who was going to miss a golden opportunity like that?"

Leaning forward, Draco rested his forearms on his knees while his finely shaped hands dangled freely. "Was it bad?" he whispered.

Ginny looked at Draco as he sat studying her intently. His gray eyes were somber, almost - sad? and there was an ember of anger smoldering in the smoky depths as well. She could see it in the tightness around those beautiful, argent orbs, the pressure that squeezed the flush from his tightly compressed lips. _He looks like he really cares! _The imbecilic thought popped into her head even as she answered.

"Sometimes," she admitted grimly. "Once a group of girls filled my bed with chicken feathers. No telling how long they had been saving those up." _Oh gods! Why am I telling him this? _Yet, she continued to speak, as if saying the words would ease some of the weight on her heart. "Then there was the time someone put a copy of Rosemary's Baby into my satchel. It is a story about a woman who gives birth to the ..."

His angry hand slashed out, palm flat. "I bloody well know - about - Rosemary's Baby!" he growled, throwing himself back into the chair. "Sick, sick." His knuckles paled as he gripped the armrests, forcing himself to remain seated, to not go to her as she sat there so calm and dry-eyed.

"Well, yea. Anyway, the pranks weren't as bad as the shunning. 'S like I had some horrible disease or some such."

"Is that why you went to Snape?"

"No, I wouldn't bother him over something as stupid as that," Ginny said baldly, as if it all made perfect sense. "It was the nightmares."

"I can imagine they were horrible," the wizard reflected as his stomach rolled with his own memory of her attack.

"They got really bad my third year, you know, with the Tri-Wizard Tournament and..." she broke off, lame.

"Voldemort returning," he finished for her and watched as she shuddered.

"He, Severus, I mean, would let me sleep on his sofa. He was the only one who really understood." She reached for her cup, and finding it empty, returned it to the table. Draco was swift to refill the vessel, pressing it into her chilled hands. She nodded her thanks, took a sip, and continued. "He didn't say all of the pretty words that my family and the other professors were spouting. He listened mostly. Just listened." She looked at Draco, her eyes, with their cinnamon sprinkles, melding with his own. "Just like you are doing now."

He shrugged, uncomfortable with her forthright stare.

To his surprise, she laughed. The sound, like bells, floated around the chamber and settled into his heart.

"How do you manage to do that?" his question stilled her mirth.

"Do what?" she queried from behind the brim of her cup.

"Laugh. Laugh like a new born angel. After all you have endured, you can still laugh. It amazes me and I would know the answer."

"Draco, what else would you have me do, hmm? Lay down and die? Lock myself in my chambers and hide? Sorry, that's just not my style." Ginny replied.

He nodded, marveling at her strength. "Good," he told her firmly, "very good."

Ginny plunked the china cup on the table and huffed loudly. "Enough of this! Let's not talk of gloomy things. You still haven't told me about this business venture between you and my crazy brothers."

Releasing a relieved sigh, Draco relaxed, stretching his long legs out in front of him, his feet crossed at the ankles. The fact that those same feet rested against her own went uncommented upon. Shutting his eyes, he pulled the old memory from his brain. "They cornered me a few summers ago. I was near that wreck they call a business when suddenly the appeared at my side and practically frog stepped me into the building."

Ginny giggled, seeing the image with her mind's eye. She was very familiar with the tactics the twin employed and could imagine Draco's shock and dismay.

"Laugh if you will, wench, but it has turned into quite a beautiful little relationship," Draco quipped, then continued with his tale. "At first, I thought they meant to do me harm, use me as a test subject perhaps. It was quite some time before I could follow the gist of their babble, I mean, do they never complete their own sentences?"

"Hardly ever," the smiling witch stated, her eyes dancing.

"Well, for all their business acumen, they had no idea of what to do with all that lovely gold they were raking in on a daily basis. There is only so much one can invest back into a business, after all," he informed Ginny soberly. "Seems they had been reading up on some Muggle concept called 'the stock market'. They figured if anyone would know about such a thing, it would be the pointy-faced Nancy-boy," he ground the words out snidely, "meaning, of course, me."

"Sounds like Fred and George," Ginny grinned. Nancy-boy? Gods, I hope not!

"Over wands and several pints of bitters, we were able to hammer out the bare bones of a management plan, and," he paused dramatically, "the rest is history. Well, except for one more thing." He observed the witch, admired the glow of her cheeks, the widening grin, and waited for the inevitable.

"And?" she prompted.

"With solid proof of the feasibility of Muggle investments working for wizards, I approached Ambrose Parkinson."

Ginny gasped at his audacity, "You didn't!"

"Of course I did," he replied, smug.

Ginny clasped her fingers under her chin tightly. "And, did he?"

"He did."

"And did you?"

He snapped his brows together in feigned offense. "Of course." He studied his nails. "His corporation is now traded on both the New York and the London exchanges. The ticker reads 'PANZ'." He had the opportunity to look smug so he used it.

Ginny's agile mind leaped kilometers ahead, "And how much of Parkinson do YOU own?"

"Nearly 20 percent, but not in my name. The dear Misses Catchpoles own an additional seventeen," he supplied, struck by how quickly his - the witch caught on to the plan. "The real beauty of it all is that when Pansy and I are wed, her shares will be added to my own, giving me and your duplicitous siblings controlling interest in the firm. We are planning a bit of a hostile take-over."

Ginny gasped, one hand flying to her lips. "You are all going to be stinking rich! Well, you are going to stink worse, but you know what I am talking about." She paused suddenly, her eyes lightening up even more. "Draco!" she breathed, and he froze in alarm, "you could do this!" He frowned at her in puzzlement, and Ginny rolled her eyes at his density. "I mean, you could do this for a living. Advising those with money to make more money! Don't you see? You don't have to marry Pansy. You have a talent, a skill that other people would want to put to good use for themselves." Her voice tapered off when she noticed Draco slowly shaking his platinum head.

"Ginny," he began, his silver eyes earnest, "you do not understand. I must wed Pansy if I am to have all that I desire. It is not just the money, it is the power that comes with that money." She snorted in disbelief, hugging her arms tight across her stomach, and stared hard over his shoulder. "You see what my father," he snarled the title, "has done to the family name! And there is worse to come, believe me. We stand to loose it all, Gin. What Voldemort does not receive from us will be snatched by the Ministry the second the smoke begins to clear! I cannot let that happen to me! I will not be made a pauper by that twice damned snake lord, my father OR the sodding, bloody Ministry of Magic!" His speech was becoming marginally frantic now, as he nearly pleaded with the red haired witch for her understanding. With a snarl, he scraped his nails across his scalp. "I am not like you, Gin, gods know how I wish I could be, but I am not. I cannot live from hand to mouth, trudging to work day after day." He sighed in helplessness only to gasp in surprise when the bundle of parchments was flung at his head.

"But you can do it! This right here proves you can!" Ginny bellowed. "You've proved it with my brothers and with Parkinson!" Her fiery hair rolled around her shoulders, setting off the flags of pink that flew on her cheeks. "You're just a stinking coward, is what you are! Afraid of a bit of work! So what if you won't live in a freaking mansion with house elves to wait on you night and day, SO WHAT? You would be your own wizard, not tied to anyone!" When he only shook his head in denial, she tossed back her own head and screeched, her hands extended and curled into scarlet tipped claws. "Hell's Bells, Malfoy! You make me so bloody mad! Look, you have the opportunity of a lifetime being offered to you on a frigging platter and you turn it away because you are too proud to WORK for it?"

Draco stared at the vision simmering before him, her slender frame quivering in rage, her cheeks flushed with determination and righteous anger. Her amber eyes flashed with the flames of her belief. She simply took his breath away.

"By Merlin's hairy balls, you are one beautiful witch!" he breathed with reverence.

She had the audacity to hiss like a feral cat before storming from the chamber.

Ginny sat hunched over the table, her brow crinkled in concentration as she manipulated the shimmering piece of foil under her hands. The candle light reflected off her hair, pulled from its curling crown earlier with her anger, surrounding the witch in a soft halo. She had barely suppressed the urge to shred the lovely sapphire gown when she ripped it from her body, and instead had forced herself to move slowly and carefully, hanging the only lovely dress she had ever worn safely in the clothes press and pulling on the soft cotton gown from the evening before. Her disappointed rage at Malfoy's purebloody, too rich to function, attitude had faded with the last rays of the sun, and now all she felt was a tired sort of depression that pulled her shoulders down and made her eyes itch to shed more tears. Luckily, the witch had found solace in her hamper. What Molly lacked in the area of fashion, she more than made up for in treats, for at the bottom of the wicker container was an entire box of Chocolate Frogs. Was there anything on the planet more perfect for a depressed witch than chocolate? She had carried the sweets to the balcony to watch the fading sunset, and was now indulging in another, previously forgotten pleasure. Creating wrapper chains.

She folded and bent the thin wrappers into long, smooth, flat rods that shimmered in the candle light like opals. Lifting the ends of the rods, she folded them to the middle before folding them once more, finally creating a tiny, rectangular link that she deftly wove into her already impressive chain. A soft knocking on the chamber door startled the witch from her play. Wiping her mouth on the sleeve of her robe, Ginny padded quickly to the portal and leaned towards the wood. "Who's there?"

"Weasley, open the door." Draco's command pierced the oak like an ax.

"Go away, Malfoy!" she responded just as sharply. "I am tired and want to go to bed."

"I have brought you something to eat, you daft witch!" he growled.

"I've already eaten!" she replied in a smug voice.

"And how is that?" his voice scraped against the panel as if looking for a weakness, "the house elves reported that you have requested nothing."

"I have my ways, mister! Now, go away!" Ginny nodded firmly at the door. Take THAT, you superior bastard!

There was silence for a time, and Ginny began to wonder if the great, blond git had actually heeded her words. She was returning to the balcony when a sharp _snick!_ caused her to turn quickly back to the door. The heavy panel swung open, revealing an immaculate (like, DUH!) Draco Malfoy bearing a covered tray. His features were closed, his gray eyes hooded as he nudged the door with one gleaming boot.

Ginny, arms akimbo, sneered, "Oh my gosh! You are working! Serving none the less! Hope The Daily Prophet doesn't catch wind of this, you may just have your membership to APS suspended."

He arched a shining brow in question, crossing the chamber to set the tray on a low table. "APS?"

"Arrogant Prick Society," the witch shot back smugly. "And I told you I have already eaten, so you can just take your - whatever - and leave."

He only snatched the cover from the tray, allowing the aroma of roasted beef, potatoes and beans to fill the chamber. "Eaten what, Weasley?"

She folded her arms over her chest and responded defiantly, "Chocolate Frogs!"

Draco snorted, unfolding a white napkin and pulling out a chair, intent on the witch placing her butt in the seat. "Chocolate Frogs hardly constitute a balanced meal, Red."

"They have milk in them," Ginny replied stubbornly, her nose tickling with the delicious smells rising from the plates.

"So they do, but are hardly nutritious." He rocked the chair invitingly. When she continued to stand, he sighed, "Look, I hauled this up two flights of stairs, and it was bloody heavy. The least you can do is show your appreciation for my effort and sit down with me."

Cautiously, the witch stepped closer, her cinnamon gaze never leaving her tall tempter. She lowered herself into the chair and allowed him to assist her in scooting it closer to the table. "So, you make this yourself?" Ginny sniped.

Taking his seat, Draco asked, "Would you eat it if I said yes?"

Ginny picked up her fork and gave the meat a tentative poke. "Only if you tell me this used to be Bella."

Draco snorted in laughter.

They ate in companionable silence, broken only by the occasional request for salt or to comment upon the quality of the beef. It was only after he had tucked away seconds of everything that Draco wiped his mouth, pushed his plate away, and demanded, "Where have you stashed the frogs, wench?'

Ginny looked down her spotted nose, secretly enjoying the bawdy nickname. "What makes you think even for a minute that I would share my frogs with you? she asked primly.

Draco drummed impatient fingers upon the table top, his features a study in concentration, and then he began to grin slowly. Ginny felt the skin on the back of her neck prickle, knowing the next words to fall from his lips would be twisted and evil.

She was not disappointed.

"You will share the frogs," he intoned, his voice lazy, slow and oh-so-sure of itself, "because I know what you look like wearing my knickers on your head." His grin widened with her gasp of dismay. "Aaaaand, I am not above putting the entire episode in a Pensive as a gift for Snape."

The witch tsked in disgust but took her wand from the table. She captured the whizzing box of chocolates, and tossed one foil wrapped candy to Draco, along with a mock glare. "I would say something inane along the lines of 'you wouldn't dare' but that would be like - What the HECK are you doing?" she broke the lecture with an offended gasp.

Draco chewed and swallowed, a puzzled expression on his handsome face. "I am eating the bloody frog!"

"You didn't even give it a chance to jump!" She made it sound as if he had desecrated a tomb.

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, the wizard countered, "It is not like the frog actually cares, Ginny."

"Yea, but where's the fun in just slashing into the wrapper and gulping it down whole?" she demanded hotly.

"Is not the point of having sweets to actually eat them? Now, hand me another."

Ginny snatched the box of gleaming goodness to her chest. "The point is to enjoy the entire Chocolate Frog experience, and NO, you may not have another until you have learned the proper method for consuming these little jewels." Her eyes, deeper and sweeter than the frogs she protected, flashed at Draco in undeniable challenge.

Had she been present, Narcissa Malfoy would have rapped her son's knuckles with her butter knife, for Draco leaned forward and actually rested his elbows upon the table top. Flashing his dinner partner a cheeky grin, he asked, "Ok little weasel, what IS the proper way one should go about eating a Chocolate Frog?"

Ginny jumped from her chair and stepped back from the table with an evil chortle. "Thought you'd never ask, Ferret-Boy" She tossed him a frog. "Don't open it just yet, let me get ready."

"Ready for what?" Draco inquired, but she did not respond as she set the box aside and moved into an attack stance, her legs wide, knees slightly bent, her weight resting on the balls of her feet. Pushing her hair from her face, she bobbed in place, left to right. "Ok, let'er fly!"

"What do you mean?" the wizard started.

"Just open the wrapper, Malfoy!" she barked impatiently. "Man, you can be so dense!"

"Daft woman," he growled in a whisper. He continued on in a shrill falsetto, his fingers pulling at the holographic binding, "Open the wrapper, she says. Open the bloody wrapper!"

The foil was peeled back to reveal a gleaming brown frog sitting upon its complementary collector's card. In the blink of a eye, the candy creature cave a mighty leap and the wizard could onlywatch in amazement as Ginny Weasley launched herself across the chamber, her mouth wide. Landing on one foot, she brought herself out of a stumble and whirled triumphantly towards Draco, the hind legs of her captured prey dangling from her pink lips.

"Oh Weasley," the startled wizard groaned, "that is disturbing. Highly entertaining, but disturbing." He rose, pushing his chair under the table.

The red-haired tormentor swallowed, flashing a milk chocolate smile. "You think you got what it takes, Malfoy?"

"Quite to the contrary, the thought of wrestling my treats to the ground has a certain caveman appeal, and I have always enjoyed a good challenge." Draco moved around the table. "Ready when you are, Weasel-Woman," he goaded the witch.

Weasel-Woman darted to the box and snatched up her amphibian missile. "Since you are a newbie, I will send it right at you, but remember, no hands."

Draco was still processing the 'no hands' clause when his froggy treat rocketed over his shoulder and smacked against the far wall.

"Ten second rule!" Ginny shrieked happily, dashing past the stunned wizard to pluck the now immobile chocolate from the floor. Pursing her lips, she blew on the candy and popped the thing into her mouth.

Draco wanted to retch. He pointed a finger at the happy witch. "THAT has been on the floor!"

Her brow creased with irritation. "I blew on it! Stop being such a veela." She dusted her hands. "Really Draco, sometimes you worry me. It's my turn again."

"But I did not get my frog!" he declared in a dangerous growl, his eyes now like shards of ice.

"That should inspire you to try harder," she quipped. "Now, hit me with your best shot!"

With a snarl, Draco snatched another candy from the container. Pinching the top edge between his fingers, he pulled. The frog shot straight for the ceiling and the wizard went crashing to the floor as a flame-haired Bludger caught him in the ribs. They tumbled in a tangle of limbs and robes, with Draco landing on his back and Ginny sprawled face up on his chest, a riot of shining curls filling his vision. The air left his lungs in a loud whoosh when the witch sat up on his stomach, then spun to straddle his body, her knees pressing into his sides. She pointed to her mouth. "Aw gawdid!"

Draco felt his world tilt, klaxons blasting through his brain warning of approaching danger, doom, destruction, red flags popping up all over the entire setting, but he could only focus on the smiling face of the witch presently squashing his supper, her freckled face shining with glee, her brown eyes with their fringe of dark lashes, dancing...

"Shit Ginny," he groaned, "please do not make me regret this." He laced his fingers through the red spill of her hair and pulled her down, catching her startled lips with his own. He ran his tongue around the surprised "O" of her mouth, tasting warm, melted chocolate and the sweeter flavor of Ginny Weasley. Her hands had plopped down gracelessly into the halo of platinum hair that fanned out around his head. Draco realized if he had erred, she was in an excellent position to snatch him bald. She crouched, almost Chocolate Frog-like, over his chest, her knees nearly buried into his arm pits, but she remained still, her eyes wide, nearly crossing with the effort of watching him lick and nip at her lips. He swept his tongue into her mouth, tapping her own with the moist, hot tip, begging her to come play.

She remained unresponsive and Draco felt his guts freeze.

The witch's brain was just a second or two behind her body when Draco pulled her down in a one-sided kiss. By the time the organ was up and functioning properly, the wizard was gently pushing her away, his face a study of contrition and simmering anger. Realizing her delayed response was about to result in her being removed from its present comfortable position and occupation, Ginny cried, "No!" and throwing her arms around the wizard's head, applied herself to the task of snogging him breathless.

Suddenly it seemed the witch's hands were everywhere, in his hair, along the shell of either ear, stroking his cheeks, bracketing the column of his throat, and all the while, her hot little mouth worked its magic. Ginny's tongue chased Draco's all the way to the back of his throat, where it cringed. That was ok with Ginny's tongue which became busy learning the lay of the land, tickling the roof of his mouth, sliding along the smooth surface of his teeth, circling his lips over and over until the wizard was dizzy with desire. The lusty tongue paused long enough for Ginny's lips to release a whispered, "Draco."

Recovering from the shock of the witch's sudden about-face, Draco snaked his arms around her softly rounded body and rolled her beneath him, his teeth pulling gently at her bottom lip, feeling her smile against his mouth. He pulled back slightly, amused and aroused by her mew of complaint. He looked down into her face, flushed bright from their combined efforts, nearly hiding the dusting of freckles that lay over her pert nose. Her eyes were cloudy with desire, the lids half masking the deep brown pools. Her hands were twisted in his hair and she was using this convenient handle to drag his face back to hers. His words were a benediction against her skin. "Ginny, sweet, sweet woman!"

She slid her lips along the rough line of his jaw, relishing the rasp of his whiskers on her teeth and tongue. She savored the taste of his skin, inhaled the aroma that wafted from the kiss dampened surface, clean, spicy and all Draco. Strands of his blond hair were tangled through her fingers feeling softer than the air which she breathed. With her thumbs, she stroked the fine arch of his eyebrows, memorizing the texture of him with her hands.

Draco felt his eyes roll back into his head and his cock stand up and cheer as she pulled at his adam's apple and ran an electric line of bites along the breadth of his throat to his ears, where she sucked and chewed the lobe with abandon, all the while, moaning deliciously.

Cradling her head in one palm, Draco placed his weight on his forearm, freeing up his other hand to explore the witch's delightful curves. When he had flipped them over, one thigh had come to rest between Ginny's legs and she now had one knee bent and pressed to his flank. It was on this firm flesh his hand set up base camp, before roaming over the plains of her flat belly, the ridges of her rib cage, the slope of her shoulders, yet always returning to her thigh, to bear down and crush her flesh to his. She was so willing, so damn hot! It would be easy, so easy to release his desires, take her as he had dreamed of for so very long.

So very long.

As she twisted against him pressing her hot lips to his scorching skin, Draco felt the tears welling in his chest. What the HELL was he doing? She did not deserve this. His precious weasel deserved more than one or two nights of passion with no promise of forever. He had nothing to give her, save his body, and that gift would only bring her shame and pain in the not too distant future.

No, he would not do that to her. No matter the pain the separation was causing him even now.

Gently Draco pulled away. She tried to follow him with her lips, but his hands held her in place. He watched as her eyes regained focus and felt his heart crack when she blessed him with a beatific smile. Her kiss swollen lips parted and she whispered his name like a prayer.

"Draco."

He watched a frown form on her lovely face as he continued to move away, pulled her fingers from the tangles of his hair.  
"Draco?"

He saw the tear that fell from her brown eyes as he shook his head and rose to his feet. "No, Ginny. No."

He heard the tiny sob that escaped her throat even as he escaped her chambers.

Ginny sat back on her heels, scraping her hands over her damp cheeks to clear away the clinging strands of hair. _Well_, she reasoned internally, _that's that_. Taking her own advice, Ginny refused to lay down and die, although the humiliation of Draco's rejection caused her to want to crawl beneath the ground and surrender herself to the dust. She forced herself to her feet, swaying, her mind already mapping out a course of action, lining up her priorities. Number one being getting home and putting this entire, mad episode behind her.

To get home, she needed Severus.

To get Severus...

"Nala."

_POP!_

"Yes, Young Miss?" the elf trilled, bobbing into a deep curtsy.

Ginny cleared her throat and hardened her resolve. "I need you to take me to Young Master."

Draco paced the confines of his chamber, his breaths coming in heaving gasps while his fingers flexed and clinched into white knuckled balls of frustration. The spark that had been struck from Ginny's softness now burned painfully in the wizard's gut. His erection pressed against the rich cloth of Draco's pants, straining to get free, blood pounding along the length of his shaft with every beat of his heart. He could still feel her frantic lips pressed to his heated flesh, smell the rich perfume of her hair, hear her panting breaths...

"Draco man, you have to stop this!" the pacing wizard growled. "Do NOT even think about going back to her room."

Tap-tap!

He froze, knowing instinctively who stood on the other side of his door. He sighed. If she wanted an explanation, he would give it to her. He owed the witch that much. If she wanted to kick his sorry arse, he could possibly be persuaded to that as well. The knob turned easily in his hand and the panel swung easily on its hinges.

Ginny Weasley stood within the blue nimbus cast by her wand's _lumos_. Her head was high, her chin defiant, her eyes focused on a point somewhere beyond Draco's left shoulder. "I need for you to get Severus for me," she stated her purpose in a dry, even voice.

Hurting, but realizing the rationality of her request, he nodded. "Sure. That makes sense."

Rage roared over Ginny like a red tide. "You're that disgusted, are you?" She barreled on, in spite of his puzzled frown. "Well, can't really blame you, who would want Voldemort's leavings after all?" Her voice tapered off into a tired whimper.

Draco hauled in a painful breath, her view of his actions suddenly clear. "Gin," he began, but she cut him off.

"Just call Severus, ok? I will be out of your way before morning." She turned to leave, her mission accomplished. He stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm.

"You are wrong, Gin," the wizard tried to whisper, but his voice crackled and it came out more as a growl. When she attempted to pull away, his grip tightened and he all but dragged her into his chamber and sealed the door. Her wand clattered to the floor, unnoticed. She struggled against him, tears of shame and anger spilling down her cheeks. Draco brought her hard against his chest, pinning her arms to her sides. She stood rigid in his embrace, panting like a trapped animal. Smoothing his lips over her brow, Draco spoke against her heated skin. "Shh, baby. Gin, sweet, beautiful girl. Listen to me, please, I did not leave you just now for the reasons you suspect, you silly, wonderful thing." Hepauese, gathering his thoughts. "I have nothing, nothing to offer you, Ginny. Not one damn thing except my body. For what, one - two more days? And then what, sweetheart? You will go back to your family knowing you gave yourself to me for nothing. I cannot do that to you Gin. Gods, it is killing me to push you away, but I cannot do that to you."

"But you will give yourself to Pansy?" she howled against his chest.

"Not if I can avoid it, no." he responded, relaxing his hold enough to bring one hand up to stroke the tangled fire of her hair. "Ginny, when I was touching you a few moments ago, what happened to you in theChamber was the furthest thing from my mind, though I should have taken it into account. As for considering you 'Voldemort's leavings', I do not ever want to hear you refer to yourself in that manner again."

She remained silent, only sniffling against his chest. He moved his hands to her shoulders and gave her a gentle shake.

"I mean it, Gin! Never think like that! Do you understand me?" Ginny nodded, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Would you still like me to summon Severus?" he inquired, stomping down on any hope that might have been blooming in his breast.

She merely sniffed again and gave him a half-hearted shrug.

Cupping her face, he gently forced her wet, brown eyes up. "Stay with me, Gin. Do not leave with this... this wrongness between us." His lips were like feathers on her mouth. "Please."

She studied him, her gaze penetrating the many layers he wore, flicking over the masks, looking for the real Draco. "I will stay," she informed him, her eyes fierce, "on one condition."

The familiar klaxon began sounding in his head and red flags were flying in his peripheral vision, but he swallowed and nodded, "Lay it on me, Weasel."

"You are going to have to prove to me that what happened, the rape, has nothing to do with you running out on me earlier, 'cause I'm not buying that load of crap you spewed just now."

Stunned, he reared back from her, his hands falling to his sides. "What? I tell you I honor you, place you above my own desires and you doubt me?"

She jabbed his chest with her index finger. "I've lived with seven men all my life, Malfoy, and let me tell you, _I KNOW about wizards_." Shaking her hair from her cheeks, she continued, "they just don't go all noble in the middle of a damn good snog."

He couldn't help the swell of pride that lifted his chest at her words. 'Damn good snog,' indeed. His bubble burst with her next statement.

"I want to finish what we started earlier," she stated firmly, a faint blush rising to her cheeks.

Releasing a whoosh of air, Draco scraped his hands over his raspy cheeks. "Gin, I meant what I said before, I cannot promise you..."

"I am not asking for promises!" she screamed. "I don't care about tomorrow or tomorrow or tomorrow. I want right now, just you and me, 'cause that is all I will ever have, Draco. Pansy will have you for all the tomorrows to come, I just want what you can give me for the moment, and I will be happy with that."

He stood frozen by her impassioned words, his body already hardening, growing thick with blood and desire. He watched as she moved closer, her tiny hands reaching up to stroke his face, his hair, brush her thumbs over the swell of his lips.

"Draco, remember when I told you that you couldn't change what happened to me, couldn't make it go away or get better?" she whispered, her eyes glowing warmly.

He nodded against her fingers and brought his hands up to rest on her waist, feeling the firm curve of her hips.

"I was wrong. You can make it better, only you. You can give me something better to recall. You have always been able to to that, give me good memories. Do it again, Draco."

He remained silent, his mind and honor warring with the longing he had endured for so long. He wanted to grab the witch, plunge into her sweetly offered body, loose himself in her scent and taste her flesh. His vision was clouded with lust, so he was unsure of his perception when Ginny rolled her shoulders, allowing her robe to fall to the floor in a heap. Without taking her eyes from his, she bunched the white cloth of her gown in both hands and slowly raised her arms. Draco's mouth went dry when she added the soft material to the pile of bed clothes at her feet and stood before him in all her naked glory.

He could only stare, mute, as the candle light washed over her softly glowing skin. Her small, firm breasts rose and fell with her panting breaths, the nipples beginning to peak from the sudden chill. Ginny's waist was narrow, her belly taut and flat, while her narrow hips flared nicely, framing the trimmed thatch of red curls at the apex of her thighs. Draco felt light headed, nearly dizzy with the sight of her. The moment stretched out and Ginny felt uncertainty rising in her chest. She jutted her chin forcefully.

"Draco, if you don't do something in the next second, I'm walking out that door and you will never see me again."

The wizard sprang.

He pulled her to him, pressing her hips tightly to his own. He caught her heated gasp of pleased surprise with his mouth. Her tongue met his halfway, wrapping around his seeking organ, gliding, sleek and hot. Her breasts were mashed to his chest, her nipples plainly felt through the thin silk of his shirt. Marveling at the softness of her skin, he stroked her arms, her shoulders, the delicate spot right at the nape of her long neck. She shivered under his touch. With a moan, he ran his hands down the length of her naked back, cupping her full butt-cheeks in both palms and lifting her more fully against his hardness. With supreme effort he was able to tear his lips from hers. "Do you feel what you do to me, Gin? Can you feel how much I want you?"

"Yessssss!" she managed to hiss, reaching up on her toes to take his mouth once more. She suckled his lower lip, rolling her tongue over the puckered flesh, and experienced a rush of power from the tremor that rattled through his frame with her actions. Her arms were firmly locked around his neck, her toes barely touching the floor, his hands still kneading the muscles of her butt.

Draco freed his lip with a soft pop. "Wrap your legs around me, sweetheart!" he demanded in a low growl. Ginny immediately complied with his command, and coiled long legs around his hips. Draco breathed through clenched teeth as her shift in position brought her core in direct contact with his aching shaft, the layers of material separating them doing little to mask the intense heat coming from between her thighs. "Oh gods, Gin," the wizard whispered into the shell of her ear, causing the witch in his arms to tremble, "if I do not lay you down now, I will be taking you against the door."

"Bed," Ginny murmured between the searing kisses she rained over his jaw and down his throat.

Draco strode quickly across his chamber. Bending, he placed the panting, kissing witch upon the bed. Ginny continued to cling to him like a leech, her mouth working now on the small V of skin showing above the open buttons of his shirt. "Ah, Gin, baby," he nearly chuckled, "you will have to let go."

She released him reluctantly, slowly. Ginny felt cool sheets beneath her over heated body, the full realization of her nakedness coming to her brain. Suddenly shy, she averted her eyes, her daring behavior leaking away. She attempted to cover herself with trembling hands, but her wrists were imprisoned in the light circles of Draco's fingers. "Do not," he whispered, "hide such beauty from me, Gin. Please."

His whispered plea brought her gaze flashing back to the blond wizard where he knelt with one knee on the bed, his features tight as if with pain. She saw the flames in his silver eyes and felt an answering heat well up in her belly. She let her arms relax and fall to her sides.

Draco stepped away from the bed and the vision that lay upon it, her brown eyes heavy with desire and a touch of fear. He could read her well. After all, he had studied the beautiful witch for years, learning her expressions, the ways in which she hid her true self and her thoughts. She surpassed the wildest of dreams he had of her over the years. Her skin was smooth and clear as cream, with sprinkles of cinnamon and nutmeg to sweeten the mix. Breasts, small but perfectly formed, rose and fell with each breath and the wizard nearly climaxed with the thought that soon he would be feasting on those lovely mounds, rolling his tongue over her cherry peaks. Drawing a ragged breath he pointed a trembling finger at the witch.

"Tell me now," he hitched out, "tell me now that this is what you want, because once I join you on that bed, Ginny," he paused, gulping, "I do not believe a host of Dementors could inspire me cease until I have sated myself on you."

Ginny felt like she could not get enough air in her lungs as her heart pounded in her ears. The molten steel of his gaze burned over her body as he spoke and settled in the juncture of her thighs, a scalding heat that scared and thrilled her all at once. The lines of Draco's face were tight and hard as if he were fighting an inner battle to remain calm, his hands clinching and flexing. He appeared as a starving man before the feasting table, clinging to his manners even as he desired to throw himself upon the board and gorge himself. Lifting her hands, Ginny beckoned to him with her fingers and her eyes.

"Come to me, Draco."

With a guttural exhalation, he toed his shoes from his feet and in the same movement, covered her body with his own. Supporting himself on one elbow, he palmed the back of her head, bringing her lips to his in a blistering kiss, his tongue a velvet coal burning a trail along the line of her sweet mouth. Reaching deeper, he probed the thin ridges of her upper palate, feeling her own organ flicking the underside of his probing flesh. The hand not holding her head explored the supple richness of her body, pressing the flesh with hunger in his finger-tips. Ginny arched against him as he once more cupped the curve of her butt, his fingers just barely skimming over the steaming flower blooming between her legs. Blood rushed in his ears like gale winds and he nearly missed her panted question.

"What do I do? Draco, tell me what to do."

Pulled from his feeding, the wizard peered down into lovely pools of of sparkling brown, bringing to mind something he had nearly forgotten. He smiled widely as he brushed her hair with tender fingers. "Your eyes remind me of something." She arched a questioning brow. "Large cherry coke," he replied to her silent questioning. "Sex in a Styrofoam cup." She giggled, causing her body to do delicious things to his lower regions and his pelvis rocked against hers in response.

Twirling a strand of moonlight hair around one finger, Ginny repeated her question. "Draco, what do I need to do? I mean, this..."

He silenced her with a gentle kiss. "Do anything you want, sweetheart. In this one place and time, we can do nothing wrong." Reclaiming her lips, he set himself to the lovely chore of driving her mad with desire.

The room was filled with the sounds of their increased breathing, and the candlelight covered their twined bodies with a sheet of yellow warmth. Ginny's features were suffused with a look of wonder and want as she watched Draco kiss and nip his way through each of her pale, slender fingers. He licked the palms of her hands before kissing and biting his way up her inner arms. He straddled the witch now, the material of his trousers chaffing the overly sensitive skin along her waist. Her legs were bent at the knees and pressed hard against his buttocks. With reverence, he placed his palms over her breasts and she bucked her hips, sending shafts of delightful pain into his balls. He kneaded the firm flesh beneath his hands, his eyes flicking from his task to her face, measuring her response to his touch.

Ginny's eyes were hooded, the irises smoky, nearly black with passion. A pink flush colored the skin of her chest and flowed up her neck into her cheeks. Her mouth was slightly open as she gasped in shallow gulps of air, her pink tongue appearing frequently to flick over her dry lips. When he rolled one rosy nipple between a finger and thumb, the witch screamed, her eyes flaring wide, and her hands came up to grip tightly at his biceps. Again, Draco felt a tightening in his loins, and he leaned into the witch to wrap his mouth around one hardened tip.

Ginny reacted as if he had hexed her with his wand, her body arching instinctively upwards, increasing the contact. Gibberish fell from her lips as he continued his gentle, nipping assault. He opened his lips, blowing a cool breath over her skin and was rewarded with the further puckering of her nipple and a strangled groan. Draco's other hand was happily engaged with stroking and pressing the flesh of her other breast and did not complain in the least when the hungry mouth changed sides, descending on the opposite mound.

Ginny's fingers wound themselves into the spill of Draco's hair, anchoring herself. With each stroke of his wet tongue, each tug of his fingers, the witch felt as if she would explode from the bed. Never had she dreamed of these sensations, hot and cold, soft and rough, combining to create a conflagration of such heat that she would melt into a puddle of satisfied want. Her muscles clenched even as they relaxed. She felt appeased even as a greater need grew within her, and she thrashed against the wizard who hovered over her body, uncertain how to fill that emptiness. A gush of liquid heat escaped from that dark, secret place between her legs, coating her upper thighs and sliding down into the sheets.

With trembling hands, Ginny pulled Draco's head from her chest. He looked at her, his eyes storm cloud gray and heavy lidded. "I want to touch you, see all of you," Ginny insisted though her voice trembled.

"Of course," Draco smiled. He placed a quick peck on her freckled nose and lifting his thigh, rolled over to lay at the witch's side. "Touch me, Gin," he invited.

She hesitated a long, breathless second before rising and sitting back on her calves. Two flowing rivers of scarlet silk spilled over her shoulders and Ginny shimmied, hiding her pale breasts behind the shimmering curtain. Draco caught her action. Even with the pearly mounds concealed, he believed her to be the most erotic figure he had ever beheld.

Worrying her bottom lip, she looked at Draco for guidance. He took her hand and gently placed her fingers on his shirt. He felt her trembling against his skin and he stroked the back of her hand in reassurance. "Take your time, sweetheart."

Ginny looked up and down his entire length, pausing briefly at the long bulge below his belt buckle. Returning her eyes to his face she informed the wizard, "I think this will be easier if you sit up." She scooted backwards on the bed as Draco rearranged himself until he mirrored her posture, his large hands resting on his thighs. He could only smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners as she crawled closer, her features serious, as if she were studying a complex puzzle.

She focused on the tiny pearl buttons that marched smartly down the front of, what was formally, his crisply starched white blouse. The little discs seemed determined to evade the witch's grasp and escaped her fumbling attempts to force them through their respective holes.

"I have never, in my life, seen such tiny buttons," she complained after successfully freeing her second one. She heard the rumble of Draco's chuckle and couldn't stop her responding grin. "At this pace, we will have to call down for breakfast before either of us can find some relief," she quipped, despite her nervousness.

In answer, Draco clasped her around the waist, pulling until she straddled his thighs. "Relax, baby," he crooned against the curve of her throat. "Think of it as breathing." He dragged his tongue along her skin to her lips. "Just breathe," he murmured before easing into her mouth. His fingers worked through the spill of her hair, massaging her scalp. He felt and heard her moan of appreciation even as her fingers continued with their own task. Soon she had him totally undone, in more ways than one.

As she released the final disc, the back of her hands whispered over the fine hairs of his stomach. Draco exhaled forcefully as his gut retracted in a sharp spasm. Ginny pulled out of their kiss, confused until she saw the way his shoulders hunched, almost defensively, while his face wore an expression of near bliss.

His shirt now hung loose, moored only by the waistband of his slacks. Bunching the material in her fists, Ginny tugged. He rose to his knees, taking the witch with him, and in a moment she was pushing the cloth from his shoulders and down the corded length of his arms. It was now Ginny's turn to gasp in sharp pleasure.

The glimpse she had gained in the pool house was enhanced as the actuality of the wizard under her hands sank into her brain, the memory melding nicely with her present circumstances. The flesh she had seen was now warm beneath her fingers, the shining hairs, crisp. The flat buds of his nipples now puckered as she ran her pads over the darker skin. Remembering her own nearly violent reaction to his mouth on her chest, Ginny leaned and pressed her lips to the brown oval. Her reward was immediate and strong.

Slack mouthed, Draco pressed his fingers into her skull, wanting to keep her sweetly sucking lips latched to his nipple. He had released a sharp bark of surprise when her mouth first tasted his skin and now he hung on tightly as his flesh prickled from repeated jolts of pleasure. He could feel a warm trickle of pre cum leak form the swollen head of his shaft. "Ginny, I am dying!" he panted into her hair as her tongue circled his pebbled flesh. Another wave of heat rolled over him, and he felt his balls tightening, the precursor of an explosion. He pulled her mouth from his breast, shifting her from his lap.

Moving from the bed, Draco stood on trembling legs as his fingers fumbled with the silver clasp of his belt. Ginny perched, still and quiet, her eyes wide with expectation, but he could see the shadow of anxiety there as well. Her tongue swiped out, refreshing the sheen on her puffed lips and her fingers plucked at the tangled sheets.

He made quick work of his trouser fastenings, and thrusting his thumbs into the waistband, divested himself of both outer and inner garments. He kicked the material from around his feet, removing his socks in the process. He would have returned to the bed, but Ginny's eyes held him frozen. She stared at his turgid length, her expression once more filled with nearly childlike fascination. Carefully, almost as if she expected him to flee, Ginny edged closer to the rim of the mattress, the wizard's bobbing penis inches from her face. Not lifting her eyes from the weeping, purple shaft, she asked softly, "May I touch it?"

"No!" he bit out, more harshly than he intended, "no, baby. It would be too much." He stood, taking great gulps of air as he attempted to bring some measure of control over his body. The muscles of his lower belly quivered, the sensation echoed in the hard fiber of his thighs. Red clouded his vision and he could only focus on the gnawing ache in his loins, the hunger that urged him to bury himself in the lovely witch who was still eyeing his cock like the last piece of candy in the jar.

"Gin," he rasped, the desperation in his voice pulling her attention to his face. His expression must have been harsh, for she gasp softly and scooted deeper into the bed. Draco swallowed, hoping to fill his tone with calm. "Gin," he repeated, "listen to me, sweetheart, and then you have a decision to make." He panted, running his fingers over his cheeks while, wide eyed, she nodded in agreement.

"Baby, I do not ever want to scare you, but a wizard can only take so much." He saw understanding begin to fill her eyes. "It is just..._this _is something I have wanted for so long, Gin. For years, I have imagined a moment like this." He gestured to his engorged manhood. "Look at what you do to me, witch! I feel as if I have been walking around with a perpetual hard-on since the first time I hexed you."

Ginny shuddered as his words brought a fresh wash of liquid desire flowing from her center. Her eyes were dilated fully, nearly black with passion. Draco noticed her shiver, smelt the musk of her womanhood as it floated on the air, and quickly pinched the head of his shaft, choking back the sudden sensation of climax.

Ginny watched in amazement as Draco gripped himself, his face a contorted mask of concentration mixed with equal amounts of pleasure and pain. Concerned, she shifted forward. "Draco?" Her whisper was overflowing with worry.

He waved her off with his unoccupied hand. " 'S-k," he said, quietly. "You have me too worked up. Just about lost my load there. Gods, that has not happened since I was fifteen." Opening his eyes, he implored the witch, "Gin, I could use some relief about now. I really wanted to take this time slow, but woman," his voice deepened, became husky and dry, "my want gnaws at me." He moved nearer, placed on knee on the mattress and reached out to stroke her cheek with the back of his hand. "Let me love you _now_, Ginny Weasley."

Stunned by his confession and the low voiced demand, the witch could only nod her head. Her heart was pounding madly inside the cage of her ribs, threatening to burst through her chest. It was not fear that caused the organ's insane rush, but an answering ache that had burst like a nova as the wizard described his pain. She wanted him just has much as he wanted her. The hours of exploring each other, if they arrived, could come later. Now was the time for release.

Reaching out for him, she whispered, "Tell me what to do."

Draco bit back his sob of relief, giving her instead, a gentle smile. Pulling her to her knees, he traced her lips in a heated kiss, his fingers running down her back and over the curve of her arse. He cupped her low, so that his fingers were brushing the curls of her sex. "Spread you legs a bit, baby," he crooned into her mouth, rewarding her with his tongue when she instantly complied. Keeping one hand pressed firmly to her bum, Draco brought the other to the front, and flexing his wrist upwards, placed his palm over the swirl of red below her navel. Ginny shuddered in his arms, but he kept her busy with his mouth while his hand moved carefully, his fingers scratching through her curls, the middle digit seeking out and then finding the slick folds that nearly pulsed against his pads. Ginny squealed into his kiss, her hands clutching his shoulders as Draco bent her over backwards, pushing her mons further into his palm.

Draco stifled a scream of triumph when her found her dripping, her sweet pussy literally sobbing for _him_. _He _had brought her to this point. She had not dissolved into one of her fits, nor had she flown at him in rage, insisting he remove his hands. NO! She was arching against him, rocking her hips in rhythm with his fingers, her juices bathing his palm in a baptism of renewal.

"Lay down, sweetheart," he said softly, never taking his fingers from their happy labor. Ginny obeyed, her smoky eyes half hidden by her lids. She appeared drunk, disoriented, and Draco's chest swelled. _I did this for her! I brought her safely to this state._ That she had honored him with her body touched the wizard profoundly, and as he covered her with his weight, he vowed to serve her well.

His kisses and the knowledge that he would soon be within her body had Ginny clinging to Draco, her arms wound fiercely around his neck, her face pressed into the curve of his neck. She wanted this, she did, but that did not take away the fear of the unknown. Up until this moment, the fire that threatened to consume her had held her concentration, now... well, it was different.

"Ginny?" he asked, concerned by the sudden stiffness of her body. Reaching up, he gently pulled her hands from his neck, kissed both palms before running his heated lips over her own. His erection was pressed between their bodies and he rocked his hips slowly, allowing her to become more accustomed to his weight, the feel of him over her. "Relax, baby," he continued to murmur as he ran light kisses over her eyes, nose and cheeks. He felt her arms loosen and her fingers begin to play with the pale strands of hair that fell over his shoulders. "You ok, Gin?"

"Oh yes," she sighed, lifting her face to his, running her tongue out to lap at his lips. "I want you so bad, Draco. It nearly hurts, this wanting."

"I know, sweetheart. I will make it good for you, baby girl, I promise you. Just trust me, will you?"

Her eyes rose to his, and she gave him a smirk. "I am holding you to that promise, Draco."

Groaning, he slammed his lips once more to hers, their tongues meeting in a heated dance that was mirrored by the wizard's grinding hips. He ran desperate hands down her sides, pausing to cup a breast, pinch a nipple, before moving on to map the silky terrain of her body. He rolled slightly, allowing his fingers to once more dip into her moist heat. Ginny bucked up into his palm, pulling her lips from his to fill her lungs with much needed air.

Snatching up a pillow, Draco reared back on his calves. "Lift your hips, baby," he instructed, placing the pillow to support her lower back. She watched, mezimerized, as he grasped himself in one hand and began to lean over her heaving body. He pushed the mushroomed head to her heat, rubbing and pressing gently, parting her folds with his flesh. Ginny groaned, her head rolling weakly from side to side, her lips parted as she forced herself to breathe. The touch of his sex to hers had sent her heart pounding in a different location, one placed much further south than her rib cage.

He easily located her slick opening, and rotating his hips, seated the tip of his penis at her entrance. "Wrap your legs around me, sweetheart," he directed hoarsely, the hand not supporting his weight lifting her thigh, guiding. He sank to his elbows, his weight on his forearms, his palms supporting her head. Her long legs, like manacles of silk wrapped themselves around his waist and lifted Ginny's pelvis higher. A pearl of sweat trickled down his temple as he gazed once more into her deep brown eyes. "So long, Gin," he nearly grunted the words. "Wanted for so long."

Rolling his hips, Draco pushed, feeling her wetness bathe him, easing the way. Ginny's eyes widened with the pressure and she could feel Draco's body quake with his efforts at restraint. She pulled his face to hers, dancing her lips over his features, flicks of her tongue catching drops of sweat from his cheeks. Squeezing her thighs tight to his waist, she whispered against his skin, "Love me now, Draco."

He shattered with her words. Years of longing coupled with their stolen hours together, broke the bonds of his control. His fingers curling into her scalp, Draco arched his hips into her body, his hard flesh boring through her narrow channel, her molten heat surrounding him, almost taking his breath away. So deep was he in his bliss, he nearly missed the slight popping sensation as he sank into her wet sheath, and the sharp cry of surprise and pain from the witch below him.

Disbelief and horror flooded his gut as he reared back, looking down into her equally stunned face.

"Owie?" she squeaked.

Shaking his head wildly, Draco attempted to pull from her, but Ginny locked her ankles and threw her arms around his neck, holding on for both their dear lives.

Ginny swallowed the urge to cry. The pain had been sharp, but it was fading slowly, leaving her with the unfamiliar but not unwelcome sensation of fullness. She could feel the muscles stretching to accommodate the girth of the wizard that trembled in her desperate embrace, his breathing harsh in her ear.

"Ginny," he pleaded as he tried to push her away. _Oh gods, what have I done! _"Gin, I need to check," he broke off in a sob.

"No!" she hissed back, holding him tighter, feeling his shoulders shake. "If I let you go now, you will never come back. I know you, Draco Malfoy." Stroking him with gentle fingers, she crooned, "What's done is done, Draco, and I wouldn't change it for the world." She kissed her way up his neck, ran her tongue along the rim of his ear. "Not for the world."

"I could have just taken your virginity!" he growled.

"And I am glad for that!" she crowed, releasing him slightly so that she could peer into his eyes. "I am glad it was you, Draco."

He grabbed a corner of her pillowcase and wiped his brimming eyes. "At least let me check you, baby. If we had known, suspected... I should have been more careful."

Ginny could feel him shrinking inside her, the pleasant sensation of fullness fading. "If something was wrong, don't you think _I _could tell? All I feel is a wonderful hunger. I want you to move inside me, Draco. I think I will die, if I don't feel you sliding into me." She punctuated her plea by digging her sharp heels into his hip. "You are not the only one who has wanted this moment." Ginny peered intently into her lover's argent eyes, begging him to continue, letting him see her need.

Ginny's legs pulled him closer, forced his flagging erection deeper. He felt her walls contract about his flesh, pulling, sucking, as her words soothed his mind, eased his heart and fanned the flames of his desire. He let her drag his face down for a sweet, absolving kiss, their tongues touching lightly before the heat began to rise once more. Draco wrapped his fingers around a heaving breast, working the flesh as his mouth descended to engulf the hard tip. His mouth on her breast while his sex was buried deep into her core, caused her uterus to contract almost painfully and she cried out, "Draco!"

Hearing his name spoken with such passion, feeling his cock squeezed almost to the point of agony, sent the wizard into action and he pulled against her clenching walls, retracting himself until only his swollen tip remained. Nipping at her breast, he plowed once more into her depths, releasing a grunt of appreciation for her wet heat.

Ginny shut her eyes, concentrating on the feel of his shaft pumping into her body. Hugging him tightly, she lifted her hips in time with his moventments, rocking in counterpoint. She could feel each vein and ridge as Draco moved over her, felt the damp smack of his thighs against her own, their breasts rubbing hard one against the other. His lips claimed hers, scorching her mouth with his intensity.Leaning back, he paused in his labors, breathing hard. "Are you ok, Gin?" he huffed, strands of moonlight clinging to his sweaty jaw.

Brushing the hair from his face, she nodded, nearly robbed of speech by the maelstrom of responses he was releasing in her frame. Her mouth opened in an O of amaze he sat back on his heels, threaded his arms beneath her thighs and lifted her hips against his rotating pelvis. His features were tight, as if he fought some inner pain, his eyes narrowed below his furrowed brow. The flare of his nostrils became pinched and thin and his lips pulled back from his clinched teeth in a grimace.

"Ginnnnnnnnn," he ground out, throwing himself upon her again, his arms still lifting her thighs, his fingers digging into her shoulders. Ginny grabbed the silver hair swinging madly around her, desperate to see his face as he arched himself over and over into her greedy core.

"Look. At. Me." he growled in time with his thrusts. "You. Do this. To. Me." Thus said, Draco's head flew back, and his movements became erratic, pushing deeper into her body, grinding himself against her as if he would meld their separate flesh into one. Ginny was suddenly crushed to his chest, his face buried in her hair. He heaved against her fiercely, once. Twice.

His release camein a flood of heat as his balls pulled into his body and his toes curled and popped under the strain. Searing gratification washed up his spine, constricting his chest with bliss before exploding from his eyes in blinding starlight. He heard his sobs of completion from a distance as his tongue tasted colors and his ears picked up the music of Ginny's skin against his own. Every nerve ending in his frame fired as he sprayed his seed against the witch's quaking walls.

Sweat trickled down his face as he lifted his head. Ginny was staring at him in awe, her eyes wide and blinking slowly. He knew she had not come, but there was a glow of completeness on her cheeks, a satisfied softness about her eyes.

He kissed her gently, sucking on her full bottom lip,brushing her cinnamon brows with his thumbs, as she murmured non-sensical things against his skin. Her fingers stroked at muscles along his back that still quivered with the after shocks of his climax.

No words were spoken as they continued to touch and kiss. None were needed for this moment was filled with expression that defied voice and sound. Skin smoothed along skin. Eyes met, melded and moved on, replete. Lips caressed, breathed ease and comfort, soft and moist.

The night moved around the pair, leaving them alone, needing no one save each other.

TBC

Ok, that was a long one. Let me know what you think. We will get to the answers in the next chapter. These two are pooped. Let's let them be for just a while. Sorta catch their breath.

gotsnape


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 Blackwork**

**Blackwork is a term used in quilting when a top is created using one large piece of fabric. It is then quilted using thread of the same color. The resulting design appears to be etched into the fabric. It is a very old technique that came before patterned quilts that use pieces of differing colors and shapes. The significance of the title, hopefully will be clear to the readers.**

She floated in that sweet space between awareness and sleep. Her brain registered various stimuli but focused on none; the softness of the sheets, the yellow fog of candlelight on the black screen of her closed lids, the sound of soft, even breathing, in counterpoint, yet synchronized with her own.

She floated...

...then leaned into the palm that pressed her cheek, humming in response to her whispered name.

He kissed her curled lips. "Ginny, you defy description."

"I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing," she murmured, her eyelids fluttering.

A lean arm coiled around her waist and pulled her close to a firmly muscled chest. "Oh, it is definitely a good thing," he whispered into her ear, before kissing her temple. "How are you doing, baby?"

She sighed lustily, "Great!" He could hear the smile in her voice. Her soft butt wriggled against his groin. "Stings a bit, though."

She felt the bed shift and whimpered, flapping her hand behind her in an ineffectual attempt to locate him.

"Be right back, baby."

His voice was close, but not as close as she preferred, so she screwed up her face and whined, "Naaaaaaaaa-ooooooo!"

His chuckle echoed hollowly from the bathroom and soon she felt his large warm hand on the curve of her hip. "Roll over, Gin. Ach! You are a mess."

With a groggy smile, Ginny complied, stretching her arms over her head and pointing her toes. Draco stood by the bed, an appreciative smile on his face and a bath cloth in his hand. His long blond hair was hanging about his bare shoulders. As a matter of fact, Ginny was happy to note, the entire wizard was totally and gloriously bare. She knew she should feel uncomfortable, ashamed of her own nakedness, but could not dredge up the sensation. Ginny frowned slightly when she noticed the dried smears of rust on his relaxed penis as well as on his thighs. She sat up and scooted backwards into the pillows. "That's mine," Ginny stated, pointing to his lower body.

"For as long as you want it, wench," Draco leered, bobbing his eyebrows suggestively. She rolled her eyes at his playful mood. "And yes," he added, kneeling on the bed by her hip, "the virgin's blood as well. Placing a hand upon her knee, he silently urged the witch to spread her legs.

Ginny reached for the cloth. "Let me do this, Draco."

"Gin, virgin's blood is a powerful magic," he advised, staring fixedly into her earnest brown eyes, "and needs to be harvested carefully." He continued to tug gently at her knee, his voice becoming low and seductive, "each drop collected with reverence."

Ginny felt her face begin to sting.

"I have just visited this sacred place in a most intimate manner, yet you blush at the thought of my viewing the site of my earlier worship?" he teased. "Besides, I intend on becoming even more acquainted with your sweet pussy ere I free you from this bed," he stated factually.

The fire they had ignited with their earlier coupling had not been extinguished with Draco's release, merely banked, and Ginny could see the smoldering coals of desire in Draco's eyes.

"You would clean me?" she whispered, cheeks burning.

"It would be my privilege and my honor to do so, Ginny Weasley," he responded, his voice rough, "if you would but allow."

Ginny slowly lifted her knees, placing her feet flat to the mattress. Her face flamed when Draco positioned himself between her legs. Kissing her scared knee, he flashed her a smile.

"Oh my gods!" she exclaimed as her heart flipped over in her chest, "You have a killer smile."

Now it was the wizard's turn to blush. With gentle fingers he parted her folds, swiping at her skin with the warm cloth. "I reserve my smiles for very special occasions," he said with a shrug.

Ginny's fingers twisted nervously at the pillowcase. A heated tingle bubbled from her core at the touch of the blond. "And cleaning my... ah-hem-haw," her color heightened, "qualifies as a special occasion?"

Draco's lips appeared to be experiencing seizures, even as his silver gaze remained fixed on his task. "A most special occasion, my lady. Are you in any pain, because until a few moments ago, Gin, you were most definitely a virgin." His fingers tenderly probed her vaginal opening, coming away smeared with bright red blood. He held the digit up for her inspection.

"I just don't get it," Ginny tried to remain calm as he cleaned his finger on the cloth. "Ok, I can see him using magic to rape me mentally, because Dumbledore and Severus argued that the bastard wasn't corporeal enough to do physical damage." She pause, gnawing at her lip.

Draco swabbed both pale thighs, removing each trace of blood and semen from her skin. "He took Potter's wand," he reminded the witch, taking the time to further examine the pink flower that bloomed between her legs. "Beautiful!" he breathed, feeling his body responding to the sight.

Ginny slapped him with her knee. "Pervert!" she laughed, "let's stay on task here!"

He nipped the offending knee sharply, and rising from the bed, set to cleaning his own body.

Ginny watched him. "Anyway," she gulped, her eyes bulging, "by the time Harry arrived, I was very nearly dead," her voice cracked as the wizard lifted the heavy sack hanging between his legs, working the cloth slowly over the dark skin, making sure to squeeze each testicle into prominent view for the bug-eyed witch. He smiled a knowing smile as he rolled the foreskin back and her breath hitched. His shaft began to thicken as her brown eyes summoned blood to his loins.

Ginny licked her lips. "Ah - mmmm - I mean, he was sucking the life from me like a vampire, so I guess he had enough strength at that time to touch the wand."

Draco was doing wicked things with his own wand right now and she was loving every minute of the show. He was stroking his rising flesh with the blood smeared bath cloth, cupping his balls, rolling the orbs between his fingers.

Fingers that had just recently been doing wicked things between her legs. _Keep talking, girl! If you stop, so does the show!_

"That doesn't explain the marks, the terrible damage Poppy found when she tried to examine me," Ginny faltered as a creamy pearl of fluid rose from the tip of Draco's sex. "You are so damned beautiful when you touch yourself that way, Draco," she stated breathlessly.

"This?" he asked, indicating his swollen shaft. "This is your fault, temptress. You are practically drooling to get your greedy little hands on me. What wizard would not respond to such lovely begging?" He folded the stained cloth carefully and laid it upon the bedside table. Crawling over the bed like some stalking cat, he returned to the open gates of her thighs. Laying his forearms across her bent knees, he sat back on his calves. "As for your wounds, I believe I have the answer." He watched her brow arch in question. "When I entered your dream last night..."

"Invaded," she sniped with a grin.

"it was if I were joined with you, experiencing the whole horrible event with you and through you." His face twisted up in fury and disgust. "Do you remember trying to wash yourself in a large black cairn?" He studied her carefully, watching for signs of rising panic. To his relief, she remained calm.

"No," she replied thoughtfully, then, "wait, I think I remember something about that. It was terrible!" She clenched her eyes against the memory as the wizard rubbed her legs in reassurance. "There was something _alive_?" she looked at him curiously, fearfully, "In the water?"

He nodded, "I am thinking it was the Basilisk, Gin." He lay at her side, pulling her to his chest. Wrapping strong arms about the witch, he tucked her red head under his chin. "You were in grave danger, baby," he growled, his embrace tightening. "And my father," he spat the title, "sent you there." He kissed the top of her head. They lay silently for a time, taking and giving comfort.

"What else did you see in my dream, Draco?" she asked after a while.

He cleared the lump from his throat. "You were kneeling in the water." He closed his eyes.

_Stupid! Stupid girl!_

_He heard himself mutter the words as the hands vanished into the water and began to tear and claw at the tender skin of their thighs and vagina. The hysterical scrubbing and scouring only served to increase their physical pain, giving their emotional anguish some breathing room._

_I'm filthy! Filthy!_

"You did it to yourself, Gin, trying to wash away his touch."

_Filthy, stupid little girl!_

"I remember doing that now," she breathed the words over his skin, her fingers clenching his shoulder tightly. "I wanted so badly to get it all off of me. He must have had a big demonic laugh over that." Draco felt her shudder with a sob and he stroked her tangled hair, lifting his head so that he could look down at her face, but she had turned it into his chest. "He raped my mind and let me create the physical evidence. I was so **stupid!** Stupid, stupid!"

Grabbing her shoulders, Draco roughly pushed her up until he could glare her fully in the face. "Stop it right now! You were a baby! A baby, Gin!" he yelled into her face, his eyes blazing with a fury she had never seen in him prior. "Grown wizards and witches have fallen before that bastard. Professionals, Gin. What chance did you stand against the likes of him?" He shook her gently. "Do not EVER blame yourself for his evil! Do you hear me?"

"Draco, you shake me one more time and I am going to hex you into tomorrow." Brown eyes flashed dangerously through the tangle of her hair.

He pulled her back to his chest. "Duly noted, witch, but you heed my words, do not blame yourself for what happened in the Chamber, ever."

They lay in silence once more.

"I was still a virgin." Ginny stated as the candles began to gutter in their sconces.

"Yes, you were," he confirmed, shame for his actions rolling in his gut. "Do you regret wh..."

"Not for one skinny minute, Draco Malfoy!" she interrupted him, punctuating her words with a solid thump to his chest. "What we did here tonight was..."

"Indescribable?" he offered.

"Actually, I was going to say, 'way cool', but indescribable is a good word as well," she laughed.

In an instant, he was over her, his fingers in her hair, his lips and tongue tangling with hers. Ginny moaned against his mouth as her hands roamed over the broad stretch of his shoulders and back, her nails scraping deliciously on his skin. Draco slid lower, taking his kisses to her throat, her shoulders, pausing to worship at her breasts, "So beautiful, so sweet!", and moving on to lap at the skin on her belly, laughing when she sucked her abdomen in tightly. "Ticklish?"

"A bit," she panted. "Draco, what are... no! Don't!" She sat up, pushing at the blond head that tried to insinuate itself between her thighs.

"Gin, there is no part of your body I find unlovely," he informed her, peering up from her thatch of red. "Let me make you feel good, baby," he insisted, his grey eyes turbulent.

"It's just, I dunno..." she stammered, wanting to yield to his sweet pleading, but uncomfortable.

"Baby, just a few minutes ago you were drooling to get a hold of my cock, were you not?" he questioned firmly. She nodded, a tiny smile rising on her face. "What would you have done if I had let you touch me then?" he pressed, taking her where she wanted to go. As he spoke, he allowed his fingers to brush her sex, flicking against the knot of nerves above her opening. He could smell her musk rising hot around him. "What would you have done with my long, hard cock, Ginny?"

Propped upon her elbows, she lost herself in the storm raging in his eyes. Her voice was husky when she answered. "I would have touched it, rubbed it along my cheek to see if it was as silky and hot as it appeared." Lightening flashed in his eyes at her words. "I would have kissed it and run my tongue along the whole, beautiful length of your cock, Draco."

The wizard swallowed. He was now hard as stone and in reflex, humped the mattress. "Did you want my cock in your lovely mouth, Ginny Weasley?" he growled, and gave her pussy a deep swipe with his tongue. She bucked into his face, but he drew away with a grin to see her head fly back, baring her throat, her nipples pointing skywards as her chest labored for air. "Answer me, witch! Did you want my cock in your mouth?"

Ginny nodded, still staring at the ceiling. "Oh gods yes!" she cried, "I wanted to taste you and run my tongue over that vein that I could see on the bottom."

He licked her again in reward for her honesty, having to press her hips back into the mattress with his forearm. "That is just how I feel about your pretty little cunny." He blew a stream of air over her clit, causing the witch to gasp. "I want to suck and lick and bite, this hot, creamy treat. I want to bury my face in your ah-hem-haw," he chuckled. "You silly, wonderful woman. I want you to feel just like I felt, Ginny, when I exploded inside your body."

She looked down at the wizard, the cloudy, wind whipped squall in his eyes begging her to bend to him.

"Gin, do you lo - trust me?" he stammered.

She stared at him for a brief moment, her expression soft. When she finally spoke, she did so with a smile. "Yes, Draco, I do," she responded truthfully.

Draco felt his heart flip over, the blood halt in his veins, then he smiled, sucking the inside of her thigh, marking her, running his tongue over the puckered flesh. He released her with a soft POP. "Lay down, baby. Relax. This is going to be good for you, I promise."

Ginny closed her eyes, laying back upon the mounded pillows, her brain spinning with the knowledge of what Draco was...

"Lift you hips, Gin," she heard him instruct, following his whispered command without question.

When Draco had her settled to his satisfaction, he straddled her stomach, the heat of his testicles burning her skin, his erect shaft jutting forward proudly. As she admired the view provided, the wizard rubbed his broad hands up her arms and began messaging her shoulders. He grinned down at her, then lowering his head, kissed her gently with slow sweeps of his tongue. "Did you think I would simply dive on you like a niffler on gold?" he teased, now palming a full breast.

"Well," she purred, pressing hard against the warmth of his hand, "I'm not really sure what to expect."

He smiled at her honesty. "I need to get you really hot first, stir the coals a bit." He returned to her lips, causing Ginny's head to whirl from the power of his kiss.

Her own hands wandered down his back, feeling the moisture of breaking sweat on his heated flesh. She curved her fingers around his tight arse, enchanted by the smooth flex and flow of hard muscle within her grip. Draco shifted to suckle and play at her breast, and she relinquished her hold with a squeal.

He alternated between each soft mound, lapping and lip-nipping the pink crests. He wanted to imprint her flavor upon his tongue, brand it into his psyche, for he knew he would never again savor any thing as delightful as the fiery witch beneath him now; not winter's first flakes, nor summer's last Italian Ice. Nothing would ever equal the essence filling him at present. The knowledge caused his normally level head to shift as far from center as it could go and in his belly there was a twinge.

Wordlessly murmuring his appreciation, he pressed the firm hills to the center of her chest, thus reducing the distance his happy mouth must travel.

"There's not enough there to squish," Ginny teased, trailing her fingers through the soft strands of his hair.

"They are perfect," he insisted, his face buried in the shallow trench he had created. "They are high. They are tight. They taste of summer sun and smell of autumn leaves." Lifting his head, his eyes flaming, he continued, "Your breasts are creamy and comforting, like hot chocolate after a day spent in the snow."

Her features grew even softer as her heart filled with wonder.

"No rose of spring," Draco whispered, "can boast of petals as soft as the skin under my fingers."

Words hovered over her tongue, trembled on the brink of falling from her lips. Small, short words wanted to fly to his ears and pierce his heart, but she refused them release. Instead she chained them to her own heart where they throbbed in three-quarter time.

His mouth returned to its worship of her body, his hands pressing her sides as if in prayer. He kissed her, deliberately placing each burning, sweet embrace of his lips. With careful precision, he moved down her trembling body.

Ginny dug her fingers into the sheets when he slid his tongue around the rim of her navel, nearly coming off the mattress when the slick organ dipped inside the shallow cavity for a quick taste. "Relax, Gin," he crooned, wrapping his arms around her thighs, his long fingers meeting over her thatch of copper. Placing a kiss to her weeping mound, he felt her muscles clench. "Relax, my love."

The witch melted with his words. Draco rejected the regret, brought about by his stumbling tongue, that stabbed at his heart. Time was short, he reasoned, the pleasures to be shared, many.

Regrets?

He had his entire lifetime to fill with those dark thoughts. There was no place for them in this bed tonight.

Using his fingers, he tenderly parted the swollen labia, exposing her iridescent bud. "You are so beautiful, Ginny!" he breathed, then swirled his tongue around the tight bundle. He heard her choked response, felt the upheaval brought about by the contact. Her incense rose enticing him to draw closer and he threw himself into her temple, a devout pilgrim.

Grazing upon the lush auburn curls, he feasted. He drank from her well, lapping at her center. His tongue traveled the valley between her inner and outer folds, mapping the terrain, retracing his path when she responded with a jerk or a moan. Carefully, he settled a finger at her entrance, stroking, inviting himself into her core. As she sighed in delight, he entered her fully, curling the digit slightly, searching for the spot he knew would send her flying.

As his hand delved her clenching passage, his tongue continued its dance, pirouetting over the firm pearl that crowned her pussy. Another finger was added and he sucked the tight bud deeply into his mouth, alternating between rapid flicks and gentle swipes.

Ginny was dying.

That could be the only reason for the what she was experiencing at present. She was leaving the heavy weight of her body behind as her soul rose higher and higher. Each breath she drew into her lungs felt like it would be the last. Her lids fluttered and her mouth fell open in a wordless exhalation. A sheet of lightening raced from where Draco's mouth worked at her body and flashed through her form, leaving in its wake a sizzling sensation that caused the muscles of her belly to tighten, her toes to curl, and her hips to rise slowly from their soft cushion.

Draco dutifully followed the ascending witch, his fingers pumping inside her pulsing channel. She flowed like a sweet river around his hand and he sucked harder on the little button of pleasure still in his mouth. His penis ached and wept in empathy with the woman.

"Dra..." Ginny panted, "Draco! What is this? What is - Oh my gods!"

He could hear her nails as they scrambled over the sheets, her labored breathing as she rode out her storm. Pressing her hips back to the pillows, Draco released her clit and swiped at her throbbing sex, stroking her deeply with his fingers. Locating her pink pearl with his thumb, he worked the callused pad over her flesh.

"Do it again, Ginny!" he encouraged the trembling red head. "Ride that wave again, baby."

Ginny's eyes flew wide, her lips parting in a warbling sigh as she grew still, every muscle in her body poised, ready for flight.

A sense of reverence filled Draco's chest as he watched her peak, her little freckled face with its pointed, stubborn chin, melting with bliss, her eyelids sliding closed as she savored the aftertaste of heaven. If he could have commissioned an artist to paint a picture of unadulterated beauty, it would be of this woman, at this moment. She captured him with her delicate allure, her hidden strength, her stinging wit and compassionate heart. A formally empty chamber in his heart now held an occupant, in that room a light would forever burn.

Ginny sank back into the mattress, her thoughts simple puffs of dust floating in the cavity of her skull. A liquid relaxation had replaced every fiber of muscle in her body. She licked her dry lips. "Wow," she breathed.

Her praise fueled the wizard and he dove once more to the feast.

Ginny shuddered, pushing his head with desperate hands. "Uh-uh, uh-uh," she panted. Her clit was hypersensitive now and his touch was nearly painful. Digging his fingers into the soft flesh of her hips, Draco ignored her pleading and the fingers scrambling about his hair. Experiencing Ginny's orgasm, feeling her tight vault clench around his fingers, tasting the sweet flood of her release as it washed over his lips, nearly brought the wizard to his own completion upon the sheets.

And that would _never _do.

Now her throbbing walls called to him, luring Draco to plunge his shaft into their pulsing heat. He kissed her white thigh and crawled up her body. Her eyes grew even wider when she felt the bulging head of his cock pressing into her. His face was tight, concentrated, as he looked down at her. She touched his shoulders. "Draco, I don't..."

"I do," he insisted hotly as he breached her portal for the second time, grinding his teeth against the intense rush of pleasure. He paused, taking a steadying gulp of air, before pressing on, watching as Ginny's face first registered shock and then, as he seated himself completely, utter delight. She looked at the wizard above her, brown eyes filled with wonder, as if he were an endless source of newness and perpetual joy. When she smiled, he responded with one of his own, then lowered his face to her lips. Ginny lifted her legs and wrapped them tightly around his waist.

Melting from her heat, Draco nearly collapsed into the kiss. He rolled his hips tightly, skating his hands over her twisting, arching frame. Pushing into her deeply, he heard her throaty groan. Pulling from her slowly, he felt her grasping at his shaft, as if begging him to remain. Lifting his head, he trailed kisses along her neck and downwards until he captured her breast. He tugged lightly on the tight nipple and felt her contract around him. "Oh, Ginny!" he gasped against her chest, "you feel so good, soooooo gooooood!"

Rolling slightly to his side, he braced a hand on her thigh. He could see his gleaming sex delving into her copper curls, the red lips of her vagina pulling and sucking on his hard flesh. "Open your eyes, Gin!" he demanded.

She struggled to obey, but the desire to succumb to this indulgence of the flesh was overwhelming. She could only cling to him, grapple with his heaving body as the waves hurled them upon the rocks.

"Look at us, Ginny!" His voice was growing tight. "Just look at how beautiful we are together!" He threw himself back on the witch, pressed his chest to her breasts, rubbing the pebbled peaks over his skin. They kissed, lips barely touching, their tongues dancing in the warm air rushing from their mouths. Draco ground himself against her pelvis, driving into her eager heat.

"Draco!" she spoke against his panting lips, "I can feel you touching my heart!"

Once again, she was his undoing. With a mighty heave, Draco exploded, wave after wave of physical gratification rolling over him, through him, leaving him adrift on a warm sea of release.

They woke in a tangle of arms and hair, laughing as they sorted out limbs and snarls. The sun shining through the window told the pair that the morning was well on its way to noon. After a meal of cold sandwiches and tea, they showered in Draco's bathroom, taking great pleasure in soaping each other, finding interesting places to scrub and scratch. By the time they reappeared, both were very clean and satisfied.

Draco presented Ginny with a plain wooden chest. "Store the blood in here," he told her, "just until you can find something more appropriate." He placed the box under a stasis spell, to keep the contents fresh, explaining when she questioned his actions. "It would not do to put a stasis spell on the cloth itself. That may damage the blood. With the spell on the box, the cloth and the blood will remain just as they are now."

She smiled broadly. "That is very clever, Draco! I would have never thought about the damage a stasis spell could do to blood."

Draco could feel his chest swell. He nodded in acceptance of her praise, his eyes glowing.

Internally, Ginny gave herself a sage nod, _Notice and praise his efforts and Draco is a happy boy._

He led Ginny on a tour of Severus' home, answering her questions as they strolled.

"Severus won this pile of rock in a wizard's bet. He got it lock, stock and barrel." He nodded at her look of shock. "Yes, every stick of furniture, every article of clothing, even the uneaten food left on the unlucky bastard's plates!"

Ginny shook her head. "That must have been one heck of a bet. Do you know what it was about?"

Draco admitted ignorance to that tasty bit of information and led his companion further into the manor.

"You are very familiar with Severus' home," she pointed out sometime later as they were leaving a twisting maze of corridors hidden behind a heavy length of tapestry.

"Severus has been generous over the years with providing refuge for me when it was required," he informed the titian witch, his voice expressionless.

Ginny stopped walking, pulling on his hand. He turned to find her staring at him, her eyes wide and anxious. "You were in danger?" she asked, shaken.

Smiling, he gathered her into his arms, more touched by her concern than he cared to admit. "Merely in danger of losing my mind, sweet. This place has been a sanctuary, a quiet spot when I needed to think."

"Good," she nodded against his chest. "I don't like the idea of you being hurt."

_Oh, but I am hurting, Ginny!_ Draco confessed silently. Twining a long curl around his finger, he gave a playful tug. "Come, I imagine dinner will be served soon and you have yet to see the dining room."

Their evening passed softly, like a moth, lingering a moment on their glowing eyes, or the warmth of touching fingertips, then passing on, as all things must pass.

Over gob stones, he inquired, "Why magical creatures, Gin?"

She captured his piece before responding, "I have always been good with animals. I brought them home all the time. Stray cats, injured birds. Mum would fuss, but I would take care of them, heal them if I could. I liked it, you know, the way it made me feel, helping." She flashed him one of her brilliant smiles.

"So, are you planning on working with an established practice or opening one of your own?" Draco press, eager for information on his weasel.

Ginny shrugged. "The way things are going, I will be too old for anything by the time I get my license." She picked up the stones and tossed them to the playing mat. "Fred and George have offered to front me a loan," she added while looking at the revealed stones. "At a criminal rate of interest, mind you."

Draco took in her passive acceptance of her lot in life and wondered at her resolve. "Have you ever thought about doing something else, something that would allow you to begin work sooner?"

"No," she replied, looking up, "I love working with magical creatures. They don't judge you, they rarely complain, and," pausing, she thought a bit before continuing, "and when you manage to heal one, make them better, there's this rush, this really intense feeling of accomplishing something wonderful." She smiled at him. "It is the best feeling in the world."

"That is great, Gin," he said, wondering if he would ever experience such contentment.

Later, as they lay on the floor after another round of Chocolate Frogs, Ginny asked, "Where will you and Pansy live, with her folks? Yours?" She managed to keep her tone light, but her heart felt like hot lead.

Draco rolled his head against the wooden slats. "At House Malfoy? Merlin forbid!" he grimaced. "And if I had to spend any amount of time with that harridan of a mother of hers," Draco faked a shiver and rolled over to prop his head on his palm, "Azkaban would look pretty good after a day or two."

They laughed together, though both of their chests were tight. "No," Draco continued after a moment, "we have taken a flat in London for the time being. I imagine we will start building a house in a year or two."

"That would be so exciting," Ginny stated, her eyes shining as she lay on her back, her arms folded over her stomach, "seeing it go up, finding all the right fixtures and getting them in place. I would never let some contract wizard do all the work, you know," she insisted firmly, lolling her head over to stare at the wizard. "I would be right there, hammering nails, painting, hanging paper. Think of what fun that would be, Draco!"

Looking at her animated features, seeing the glow of excitement in her brown eyes, he could only agree.

The clock was chiming midnight when he handed her a highball glass filled with Firewhisky. "I cannot believe you think you can hammer that much back in one go," Draco declared.

Ginny, who had gathered their scattered frog wrappers, had been busy folding and crimping while Draco fixed their challenge drinks. "In one go," she insisted brightly. "You ready to be amazed?"

"I am ready to pick your drunk ass up from the floor is what I am ready for!" he laughed. When she shot him a mock glare, he raised his glass in salute. "Knock yourself out, Weasel. Really."

Ginny took a deep breath, lifted the glass to her lips, exhaled and tipped the contents down her throat. She slammed the container down on the table and smacked her lips.

Draco blinked. "You," he said with awe, "are the strangest witch I have ever met."

"Yeah, but you like me," she gloated. "I like you too, you know." She handed him a small circlet of holographic foil. "It's a Chocolate Frog ring. You can have it if you want." Her cheeks turned a bright pink.

He held the limp ring up for inspection, noting the neat herringbone pattern of the links. His grey eyes narrowed speculatively. "An excellent piece. I will treasure it." He chuckled when she slapped his arm.

Hours passed.

They lounged before the fire, their words hidden under the crackle of the blaze.

When Draco rose from his place, his hand extended, Ginny did not hesitate. Whispering gently, the pair ascended the stairs and vanished behind the door to Ginny's chamber.

He caressed the tangled red curls and mentally cursed the singing birds, their chorus heralding the dawn of their final day.

"Let's do something really special today, Draco," Ginny mumbled from where her face was buried in the pillows. How she could sleep with her face entrenched in all that fluff, he would never understand.

_"Really special? _he chuckled. "I should think that our past activities fit quite nicely into that category, but I could be in error." He frowned in thought. "No, it is as I suspected, I am never in error."

Ginny rolled over and wrapped him in her arms and legs. "Your ego is unbelievable," she purred, kissing his ear. Sitting up, she pushed a tangle of hair from her suddenly sober face. "This is our last day together, Draco, and I want it to be the best."

"Anything specific?" he inquired as he sat up beside her.

She shook her head. "No, but I think we could cobble together something over breakfast."

Instantly Draco was over her and climbing from the bed. "Excellent. I cannot be expected to plan on an empty stomach and a caffeine starved brain." He snatched her hand and hauled her from the bed. After kissing the witch thoroughly, he pushed her in the direction of the bathroom. "Shower. Dress. You have thirty minutes. Do not keep me waiting," he commanded.

Ginny waited, a glower on her face at his highhandedness, until Draco exited her room, shutting the door behind him. Her features melted into sorrowful lines she hurried to the shower.

She returned a short time later only to choke back a scream of terror as a black shadow filled the open French doors. "Severus!' she scolded, her skin stinging from the shock, "you scared me shitless!"

The dark wizard cocked a brow at her language and continued on into the chamber. Stopping at the rumbled bed, he pulled a slender white object from his robe pocket and placed it on the sheets. A flick of his fingers caused the package to expand. When the spell ended, a long flat clothing box, tied with string lay on the mattress. He turned to the white faced Ginny Weasley, who was slowly shaking her head in denial.

"I trust you are ready to depart," the Potions Master stated firmly.

"No!" Ginny nearly shouted. "You said three days! Three days!"

On long legs, he crossed the room to her hamper, which he reduced and pocketed. "Today _is _the third day," he explained patiently.

"But," she stammered, frantic eyes darting to the door, "We - I thought we would have more time."

Snape came closer, taking her by one hand. "Yes, however, Mr. Malfoy has a prior appointment that cannot be ignored." He gestured to the box and Ginny's eyes followed the movement.

"Oh - yes - of course." She ran her free hand over tangled curls. "I am meeting Draco for breakfast," she said in a small voice. "We can say 'good-bye' and..." She broke off as Severus began slowly moving his dark head in a negating gesture.

"Surely we can at least say good-bye!" she insisted, her voice becoming shrill.

"To what end, Miss Weasley?" her former professor and forever friend asked kindly, his black eyes holding hers as strongly as his fingers gripped her hand.

Ginny stared into the dear and haggard face, reading the message clearly in his deep eyes. With a defeated sigh, she bowed her head. "You're right," she whispered painfully. "Might I at least leave a note?"

"Be quick about it!" Severus grated. "Your family is eager, nay, _frantic _for your return."

The red head raced to the small secretary and snatching up a piece of parchment, plucked the quill from its stand. Pausing for a moment, she thought and then set to writing.

She placed the folded note on the night stand, and as an afterthought, fetched the silly ring made of wrappers and laid it on top of the crisp vellum. At Snape's look of askance, she merely shook her head.

Severus pulled the young witch close. "I Apparated on to the grounds and walked to your chamber, but I believe we shall make our exit from here. Yes, it will do nicely." With a wave of his wand he released the wards. The next second, the pair had vanished.

Draco spat toothpaste all over the vanity mirror when he felt the wards shift. His heart thundering in his throat, the blond wizard barreled from his chamber. Bare chested, he raced down the corridor, the soles of his feet making little sound on the carpet.

The door exploded inwards and Draco rolled into the chamber, his wand leading the way. Coming up into a crouch, he scanned the room, taking in every detail.

The silence.

The missing hamper.

The missing witch.

"Ginny?" he called, even as hope died in his chest. He was answered by an even deeper silence, the birds having ceased their annoying anthems. He stumbled to the bathroom, the air inside yet moist and warm from her ablutions. Her scent lingered with the steam. "Gin."

"Young Miss is being gone, Young Master," a voice croaked up from somewhere around Draco's knees. Looking down, the wizard found both Leo and Fetcher, ears laid flat to their heads, both wearing expressions of profound sadness.

"Gone." Draco blinked away the sting from his eyes, exhaling a heavy breath. "Gone with whom?"

"Master Snape," Leo answered with a bob of his fleshy head, "came for the Young Miss."

Fists braced hard on his hips, his chin jutting fiercely, Draco gave the discomfited elves a brisk nod. _And so, that is that, _his brain stated dryly while his heart shook.

"Master Snape is leaving youse a package, Young Master," Fetcher intoned, breaking into the wizard's thoughts. "Is being left on the bed."

Without a word Draco quited the warm dampness with its torturous aromas. He stalked briskly to the bed and plucking up the card that was tucked beneath one binding string, read Snape's familiar black scrawl.

_I have been commissioned by your mother to deliver this item to you along with the warning that your failure to arrive at the appointed time would not be in your best interest._

_S.S._

He tossed the card down. Lips curled with distaste, Draco snatched at the knot and then flung the cream colored lid aside. Lying atop his tan wedding robes was another note, this one in his mother's hand, giving the location and time he was to meet Pansy for their official wedding portrait.

His eyes tight, Draco jerked his face away from the sight of the box, its contents, and all that they meant. His gaze fell upon yet another missive, and this one he snatched up and read hungrily while holding the delicate band in his palm.

_Draco,_  
_You really did make it all better._  
_Ginny_

He studied the flimsy foil ring. He recalled her concentrated, freckled frown as she formed the piece, creating each link with care. He heard her whispered, "You can have it if you want," almost as clearly as if she yet stood by his side. Swallowing a burning pain, he slid the ring over the third finger of his left hand. Bringing his clenched fist to his lips, he kissed the ring fiercely. A tap of his wand solidified the foil, another caused it to shrink to a perfect fit.

"Take that _shit _to my chambers," Draco directed the elves. They silently and swiftly obeyed.

Shoulders back, head high, Draco crossed the floor. He exited without a backwards glance.

Ginny and Professor Snape appeared on the dry dirt land leading to the Burrow. Releasing her grip upon her companion, she made her way up the path following the curve that would bring her home into view. She stopped when she realized the dark wizard was not at her side.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked over her shoulder.

He heard her unspoken plea, but shook his head. She rushed back to him to pluck at his sleeve like a frightened child. "But Severus, I am sure they will all want to thank you for..."

"I neither require nor relish their thanks, Miss Weasley. I dare say, your family will want you to themselves for the present."

Ginny wanted to beg, cry, hold her breath, anything that would keep her enigmatic friend by her side. She couldn't bear the thought of facing her family alone, enduring their questions, those spoken and those held back for fear of learning the truth. It would be like emerging from The Chamber of Secrets all over again.

Severus tipped her chin up with a gentle finger. "You must and will do this, Miss Weasley." He watched as she slowly firmed her lips and pressed her shoulders back. He nodded his approval. "Remember, share only that which _you _feel is necessary, store the remainder for your own consumption."

Ginny nodded, then remembering, blurted, "Severus, my hamper!"

"Ah, yes," Snape drawled, producing her property and placing it in her hands, "your luggage."

"I have something for you, Severus," Ginny declared, enlarging the container and digging through its mess. She pulled out a small wooden box, and after removing the stasis spell, lifted the lid. She passed the container to the Potions Master.

He eyed the contents, cheeks pinkening slightly. Clearing his throat, he inquired, "Virgin's blood?" One black brow was ascending.

She scuffed her toe in the dust, feeling her face burn though her lips were curled in a small remembering smile. "Feel free to say, 'I told you so', at any moment, Severus."

"He treated you well?" She could hear the implied violence in Snape's tone.

She smiled, blinking back tears. "He was the only one who could, Severus."

He examined the damp cloth, the blood still bright red and vibrant with magic. Carefully he lowered the lid. "A princely gift, Miss Weasley, and one that I will treat with all the reverence it deserves."

Satisfied, Ginny nodded. "I'm sure you will concoct something devilishly clever."

"I shall endeavor to give it my best effort. And for now, good-bye." He executed a crisp bow and vanished.

Huffing her fringe from her eyes, Ginny turned her face towards home. "Ok, Ginny old girl," she told herself sternly, "you have faced Riddle, partied with Death Eaters and even made love to Draco Malfoy, you can handle your family." Chin firm, the witch set out at a brisk march.

Arthur Weasley was the first to spot his youngest coming down the lane. Laying his Daily Prophet beside his tea cup he rose slowly from his chair.

"Arthur?" Molly asked, as her husband moved towards the door. Pushing back her chair, the plump witch followed her husband. When she saw her daughter plowing steadily for home, Molly shrieked and made to run past the wizard, but he stayed her with a firm hand.

"No, Molly, let me," Arthur commanded quietly. Turning, he walked swiftly to the gate, which he vaulted easily in spite of his years. Ginny had noticed him the moment he crossed the yard and she stopped, the handle of her hamper slipping from her fingers.

Molly pressed shaking fingers to her lips as tears poured from her eyes. She watched as Arthur approached their daughter, saw them speak quietly. She heard Ginny's sweet cry, "Da!" as she launched herself at her father's neck. Arthur clasped her to his chest, and Molly could see his features twisting with the pain and joy only another parent could recognize. Easily, the wizard bent and scooped his child into his arms. Turning, Arthur Weasley carried his only daughter up the path, through the gate and into her home, just like he did the very first time those many years ago.

Early that same afternoon, Draco Apparated outside the wards guarding his family home. The artfully knotted cravat held the pointed corners of his crisp collar high against his tightly clenched jaws. The silk constricted the wizard's breathing and with angry fingers, he ripped the noose like strip of fabric from his neck.

Storming through the gates that opened magically at his approach, Draco crunched up the graveled drive, his fawn colored cape billowing behind him.

He was admitted into the mansion by a silent, bowing house elf who, after receiving her master's cloak, answered his earlier, curt question with a whispered, "The Master is being at his gentlewizards' club and the Mistress is being in her solar, Young Master." The elf lowered her voice even further, "The Mistress is saying you is to join her as soon as you is getting home."

"Great!" Draco snapped. "Just bloody perfect!" He glared at the soft glow of the wooded panels lining the foyer, his forehead creased by frustrated anger. With a heated sigh, he addressed the elf, "Inform my mother that I am on my way."

"Very good, sir," the creature peeped, then vanished.

His boot heels ringing on the marble floor, Draco made his way to the solar, meanwhile forcing the muscles of his face into some semblance of calm, while dampening the angry fire he knew burned in his eyes. He knocked politely on the wooden door and waited with thin patience.

"Enter," Narcissa's cool, cultured voice reached Draco through the panel. Drawing a calming breath, he counted to five and turned the knob.

Narcissa Malfoy sat primly upon a dainty chair pulled close to one of the open floor to ceiling windows that circled the solar. An embroidery hoop was suspended in the air before her and she was engaged in pulling a shining strand of soft green floss through the fine piece of oyster tinted linen. The willowy witch was garbed in an extravagant day gown of pastel lavender, the skirt billowing around her chair and falling to the floor like flower petals. Her shining, white blond hair was piled in studied disarray upon her head, exposing the fluted length of her neck. A gold needle flashed in the sunlight, guided by the swift precision of her slender fingers.

"Mother," he intoned formally, crossing the room and bending to place a kiss on her smooth cheek. She received his greeting with glacial calm, her blue eyes barely leaving her embroidery hoop as when she spoke. "Draco, you look well. I trust the portrait sitting was satisfactory."

PUNK hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssssssssssss PUNK hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssssssssssssss

Narcissa attacked the taut linen in her hoop with genteel savagery, the gold needle stabbing the fabric. Draco backed away slowly.

"Yes, Mother. The idiot took enough snaps to empty even your Gringotts' vault. I imagine that you and the Parkinsons should have ample images from which to select a suitable portrait."

PUNK hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssssssssssss PUNK hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssssssssssssss

Narcissa merely nodded, the magically filtered sunlight shining off her hair and complementing the cool color scheme created by her gown and the matching decor of her room.

PUNK hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssssssssssss PUNK hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssssssssssssss

His discomfort rose with each jab of the needle, each second that his mother allowed to pass in silence. He strolled to the windows, feigning an interest in the activities of a swarm of garden elves.

PUNK hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssssssssssss PUNK hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssssssssssssss

"What are you stitching now, Mother?" Draco inquired politely, attempting to break the wall of reserve surrounding the witch. "Is it another tea towel, because the last set was truly lovely and..."

"How was your weekend, Draco?" his mother asked, her voice cold, slick and brittle as new ice.

Draco stifled the urge to cover his arse with both hands and back from the chamber, just as he had done many times as a child. Instead, he chose to investigate the sharp cuffs of his wedding robes, wondering if he could possibly slit his wrists upon their thin edges. "My weekend?" he stalled, " 'twas passing fair."

PUNK hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssssssssssss PUNK hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssssssssssssss

"And your party, dear?" his mother insisted, her slender brows arched in polite inquiry, the reflection of her needle flashing in her hard blue eyes.

He was frozen in place. Swallowing, he ran a finger around the collar of his fine lawn shirt. It had suddenly become quite binding.

"Please do not fidget, Draco," Narcissa chided with dangerous calm. "It makes you appear shifty. Now, tell Mother about your party."

PUNK PUNK PUNK

"Well, you know how those sorts of events can be, Mother. Group of blokes, some drinks. Not much to tell, really."

Narcissa paused in her blitzkrieg of the hapless linen, her perfectly tinted lips curled in a disbelieving smile. "According to your father, it was quite the do, the event of the season, yes?" She examined the twisted condition of her floss before ramming the needle once more into the fabric. "Exotic theme, sumptuous foods," PUNKPUNKPUNK "Oh yes, lest we forget, _the final confection_, procured just for you." PUNK

"THAT was not my fault!" Draco blurted, stabbing his finger in his mother's direction.

She glared at the offending digit and Draco swiftly lowered his hand. Crossing the room, he knelt by his mother's chair and plucked at the lace flowing from her sleeve, all the while gazing up through his pale fringe beseechingly.

Narcissa looked hard at her son before smacking him soundly on the head.

"Ow!" he cried, rubbing his abused temple.

"Draco!" the witch sighed heavily, "how _could _you? I thought I had taught you better, yet now..." She eyed her needlework bitterly. "It is ruined. It will have to be reworked." With a flick of her fingers, the hoop and its mangled contents vanished. Turning from the kneeling wizard, she stared out the window. "You have greatly disappointed me, my son."

To Draco, her words were like a second blow, and he grasped her hand. "Mummy, no! Let me explain."

She whirled, startling him so that he fell backwards on his bum. Her normally clear blue eyes were filled with hurt fury. "How can you possibly explain your actions, Draco?" she demanded. "You think to justify your behavior to _me_?"

Draco collapsed back on the floor, arms flung wide, his eyes following the slow whirl of the ceiling fan. The chamber remained quiet as both occupants struggled to find their way back to one another.

"Her name is Ginny Weasley," Draco stated after losing count of the fan's rotations.

Narcissa pressed the tips of her fingers to her smooth forehead. "Molly and Arthur Weasley's daughter," she said flatly.

"You know of her then?" Draco lifted his head slightly.

"Yes," she replied, and Draco wondered at the bruised quality of her voice. "Quite a lovely young witch." She glared at her son as he lay supine at her feet. "It would seem Miss Ginevra has once more run afoul of Malfoy wizards."

_Ginevra, _Draco caressed the name. _Not Virginia, Ginevra._

He rolled over and propped his head on a palm. "You know about the diary then?"

The look she fired at him was brimming with scorn. "Of course I know!" she hissed, before gaining her previous state of civil decorum. "Lucius was only to willing to share _that _bit of news. Quite the smooth operator, palming such a dangerous and damning artifact off on a child. He was certainly taken with himself for days afterwards." She folded her hands serenely in her lap. "When did _you _learn of the diary, Draco?"

_Oooo, thin ice here, old son! Skate carefully, _he warned himself before answering, "Directly after Potter freed her from the Chamber.

Narcissa surged to her feet and Draco felt the proverbial ice beneath him buckle.

"You knew all these many years and you took her anyway?" His mother did not raise her voice, but Draco flinched none the less. And then, suddenly, anger began to rise in his breast and he came to his feet.

"Would you have me leave her there, surrounded by lusting wizards?" _One of them being your husband, _he amended silently. "I took the witch for her own safety. To give the 'abduction' its necessary credibility, we hid away for a time."

"You could have let Severus take her, he claimed her as forfeit," Narcissa pointed out quickly.

_Oops!_

"Did you bed Miss Weasley?"

Draco stiffened, his silver eyes growing hard. "That question is unworthy of you, Mother."

Slowly her gaze traveled up the length of the wizard as he stood there, rigid with indignation. "I will take that as a yes, which is unworthy of _you_, my son." She returned to her chair and sat gracefully, as a butterfly lights upon a flower, and turned her eyes to the window.

"I am NOT my father!" Draco growled through tightly clenched teeth. "I would not - did not force myself upon her!" Alarmed, he watched as his mother wilted slightly, her body actually coming into contact with the chair back. One pale hand shielded her closed eyes.

Coming to her side, Draco placed a tentative hand to her shoulder. "Forgive me, Mother," he entreated her, "anger stole my words."

"None the less, they were wielded appropriately." She lifted burning eyes to her son, her tall, beautiful boy. Patting his fingers, she added, "I am well aware of your father's many failings and I am glad to say I find but few of them in you."

Leaning over, he kissed the glowing crown of her head. "Thank you, Mummy."

"Sit by me, son."

Draco did as she requested, her fingers pressed between his hands.

"You parted amicably?" she asked gently, studying the young wizard, taking in his sudden pout, the creasing of his brow as if he tamped down some inner pain.

In reply, Draco presented his left hand, the holographic herringbone ring shining dully. Narcissa touched the band, a smile forming on her lips. "Chocolate Frog wrappers." she whispered, her eyes filled with fond memory.

Draco huffed, disgruntled. "Is this some mystical skill known only to witches?"

She ignored his pique. "You wear Miss Weasley's favor, Draco, have altered it with magic. Why would you do this?" Her tone was gently inquiring, probing. She watched as her son shrugged, twisting the band on his finger.

"I am not _ill disposed_ towards Gin - Miss Weasley, Mum."

"I see," she nodded. _My poor child! _"Draco, you know that all I have ever desired for you is your happiness..."

Draco was on his feet in an instant. "Mum, stop. I will NOT slough through that issue with you another time."

"My son, this... this marriage you insist on entering is insane! If it were not for the child, why... I would demand you withdraw your pledge to Pansy!" Narcissa wrapped her arms around her waist, her lips drooping with despair.

Draco froze. _If it were not for the child..._

_not for the child..._

_the child..._

"Mother, forgive me, but what the HELL are you on about?"

Narcissa rose, her face a mask of offended witchhood. "Draco Black Malfoy! How DARE you speak to me in such..."

He gripped her gently by the shoulders. "Mum, pleeeeeeeeeease," he growled, his eyes, two tortured coals gleaming behind his fringe of silver, "tell me, what child do you speak of?"

She could feel the trembling of his his hands, see the desperate question in his eyes. Her fingers flew to her lips as her mouth opened wide in shock. "She has not spoken to you, told you of the baby?" Narcissa could not believe the truth she was viewing in her son's stunned features. "Pansy is five months gone with your child, Draco." she whispered hoarsely, then cried in alarm as Draco crumpled at her feet.

"Draco! Draco, my child, look at me. Look at Mummy," Narcissa crooned, crouching beside the long body of her son. "Fetcher!"

_POP _ "Yes, Mistre--- Young Master!" the elf squealed, alarmed by the ashen tone of his young charge's face, his limp body.

"My salts, quickly." Narcissa instructed, then hissed, "Speak of this to no one!"

Fetcher vanished and reappeared in the same second. The vial of smelling salts was passed to the witch instantly. The elf stood helpless, his fingers twisted into knots, watching as The Mistress waved the open vial beneath her son's nose.

Draco coughed, his eyes watering, as he felt reality returning to his brain. Blinking hard, he waved his mother's hand away. He was surprised to find himself once more watching the slowly spinning blades of the ceiling fan.

"Pansy is pregnant?" he asked.

"Yes," his mother replied, stroking his skin, watching the color return to his finely chiseled cheeks. "Madame Boule' congratulated me herself."

Draco struggled to rise. Narcissa and Fetcher assisted him to his, yet unsteady, feet. "Mother, how would Madame Boule' know of Pansy's supposed condition?" He allowed himself to be led to a chair, where he sat, his eyes still burning from the salts.

"Tea, Fetcher," Mrs. Malfoy commanded. The elf vanished after a swift bow. "Well, you must understand, my dear, the nature of Madame's services. It has to to do with the heat of the pools, the procedures some witches desire to undergo, well, they can sometimes adversely affect developing fetuses."

Draco nodded dumbly, and gestured for his mother to continue.

"The house elves in Madame Boule's establishment perform discreet spells to determine if a witch is physically well enough to receive certain services, you see," she paused to accept a steaming cup from Fetcher. "It was then that Madame came to wish me all the best for my impending grandchild."

"You are still listening to house elf gossip, Mother?" Draco growled, refusing the cup Fetcher was offering.

"Not just any house elves, Draco, Madame Boule's house elves. I assure you, they do not make such horrendous mistakes such as this. Anyway, just to be safe I insisted that Madame perform the spell again herself, and the result was the same. Pansy is five months pregnant."

He slumped heavily in his seat, closing his eyes as his carefully constructed future dissolved. Drawing a heavy breath, Draco said dryly, "I have not touched Pansy Parkinson since the day of our betrothal tea."

It was Narcissa's turn to pale. With a trembling hand, she placed her cup on the table. Fetcher hid behind his master's chair, hoping to be overlooked so that he might remain to hear the ending of this tale.

"Your wand, Draco!" Mrs. Malfoy suddenly demanded.

"Mother?"

"Your wand, your wand, Draco!" she insisted, her voice becoming unnaturally shrill.

When he complied, she touched its tip with her own. "Do you, on your wizard's honor, swear you have not been intimate with Pansy Parkinson for over seven months?" she inquired in a stern, cold tone.

"I so swear." Both wand tips flared a bright clean blue light and Narcissa gave a shriek of joy, before she clapped a hand over her lips.

"Draco, do you know what this means?" she asked, rising, her cheeks flushed, her eyes flashing with delight.

_Sure, it means that everything I have planned for my life is now worth shit, _the blond snarked internally.

"You can legally and morally withdraw your petition for Miss Parkinson! The engagement can be voided without a penalty to you! Come dear, we will floo for your father. This must be addressed immediately! I am so happy!"

Draco scraped his cheeks with both hands. "I am glad as well, Mother." Rising, he offered her his arm, which she accepted with a delighted smile.

The Parkinson family arrived at nine the following morning, as requested by Lucius' owl. They disembarked from the Malfoy carriage with smiling faces, pleased with the honor of arriving under so prestigious a crest. The trio was greeted by bowing house elves who directed the family to the study, ushered them inside and carefully closed the door.

Mrs. Parkinson gushed in barely intelligible French while she took in the chamber's appointments, hardly noticing Mrs. Malfoy's cold demeanor and stilted politeness. Ambrose strode forward to heartily shake Lucius Malfoy's hand, clapping the wizard hard on the back while inquiring about the nature of their visit.

"All in good time, Ambrose," Lucius drawled, "all in good time."

Pansy sidled up to where Draco stood by the windows and ran her hand possessively over his arm. She wrinkled her nose when she noticed that he still wore the tacky ring on his left hand. "Draco, dearest, must you insist on wearing that hideous band? 'S bad enough the tacky thing is in our portrait. Surely you are planning on removing it for the ceremony?"

The look he turned on the witch caused her to catch her breath and pull away slightly. "Drake, what ever is your problem? Why, I feel nearly hated at this moment," she whispered fiercely. "I want to know..."

"Ah, I see the remainder of our little party has arrived," Lucius' voice interrupted her tirade. She turned quickly, a bright smile on her lips, a smile that froze as she saw who was entering the room.

Twenty young witches, her bridesmaids, came into the chamber, their expressions solemn, their eyes downcast. Behind the girls, their round faces blank, were Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe. Lucius directed the group to various seats and bidding the Parkinsons to sit as well, called Narcissa and Draco to his side. Mr. Malfoy, his hands clasped behind his back smiled benignly at all assembled, but his eyes were hard, cold and unfeeling.

"I say, Lucius, what is all of this about?" Ambrose Parkinson chuckled, albeit nervously, for even he could feel the heightened tension of the chamber. Mrs. Parkinson clutched her husband's knee with desperate fingers, her eyes darting about fearfully.

"This," Lucius drawled, "is about your daughter. Pansy Parkinson, come forward, please. Yes, yes, my dear," he crooned, taking the now shaking Pansy by the hand and leading her to the center of the room, "stand here where we can all see you. There we are." He dropped her hand and turning, joined his wife and son. He smiled at the pale Pansy, a predatory smile.

Mr. Malfoy addressed the Parkinsons, "My son and heir has shared a most interesting story with the bridal party. Under a Wizard's Oath of Honor, he has declared his innocence in this particular matter. All that remains, is to hear your daughter's side of the story." Here he paused, turned to where Pansy stood, looking uncertainly at her maids and Draco's groomsmen. "I love a good story, don't you?" he smiled nastily.

Pansy stood alone in the circle of seated witches and wizards, her insides twisting painfully. She tried to still the need to wring her hands, but the appendages would have none of that and her fingers writhed and pleated the folds of her skirts. She attempted to return Lucius' smile with one of her own, but her lips could only quiver. "Papa Malfoy?" she stammered.

"Yes, Pansy?" he offered softly, his tone deadly sweet, "you have something that you wish to say, to get off your chest?"

"Uh - no sir," she faltered, looking for support from each of the gathered wedding party, and finding none looked back to the trio sitting regally before her. Lucius, bland faced and hard eyed, Narcissa, cold and distant, Draco, disappointed and disgusted.

"I know!" Lucius crowed, clapping his hands together and rubbing them viciously, "tell us about the baby!"

"The ba-by?" she panted and swayed.

Ambrose was on his feet. "I say, Lucius, this is not at all..."

"Sit DOWN, Mr. Parkinson!" Mr. Malfoy ordered, his eyes never leaving the young witch who trembled on his Persian carpet. Mrs. Parkinson had covered her eyes and was weeping quietly. Ambrose looked askance at his crying wife, then to his cowering daughter, and finally to the Malfoys before silently taking his seat.

Lucius folded his hands over his crossed knees and dipped his fine blond head in Pansy's direction. "Yes, dear, do tell us all about the baby."

Pansy licked her dry lips and looked pleadingly at Draco, but his face was as blank as Narcissa's. "Draco, I... I was going to tell you on our honeymoon, you know, as a sur - surprise?"

"And what a surprise that would have been, Miss Parkinson, seeing as how my son is _not_ the father." Lucius was through with his role of genial host, he was going for blood.

Pansy backed up, shaking her head in denial. "But that is a lie! Tell them, Draco! Tell them how you and I have..."

"I have not touched you in over seven months, Pansy," Draco stated firmly.

"Seven months," Lucius tapped his lips, looking at his son, "that is quite a long time to deny yourself the pleasures of an eager witch, Draco."

The younger Malfoy never took his eyes from where Pansy stood. "I was willing to wait, Father."

"But obviously, Pansy was not." Lucius declared. "Now, Pansy, tell us, you are what, five months gone now?"

"I... I..." Tears were falling freely down Pansy's ashen cheeks now.

Lucius continued with the blood-letting. "Tell us all how you intended to foist someone else's bastard on MY FAMILY!"

Ambrose Parkinson was on his feet again, this time his anger was directed at his child. "Pansy, are you with child?" he thundered.

She bowed her head, nodding sadly.

Parkinson's flaccid jowls quivered in rising rage. "Is that child Draco Black Malfoy's?"

Silently, slowly she shook her head in the negative.

With a roar, her father was upon her. He snatched her around by the arm, and lifting his hand, blasted her hard across the face. Only his grip kept the witch on her feet. "Whore!" he cried, shaking the now blubbering Pansy.

Mrs. Parkinson attempted to grab her husband's arm and pull him from her child. "Ambrose, no!" she screamed, desperate, "think of the baby!" She crumpled to her knees when her husband backhanded her, catching the fat witch on her temple.

Draco observed the attack with heavily concealed concern. Yes, Pansy had managed to ruin his well laid plans, but he did not want to see the witch beaten. His gaze slid quickly over the gathering. _Yes! _he mentally cheered. Someone else had been suffering Pansy's punishment as well and Draco was not too surprised to see a large wizard step from the crowd.

"I will beat the little bastard from her whoring body!" he declared lifting his fist to pound Pansy yet again.

He was stopped by a beefy hand gripping his wrist in a painful vise. "Strike her again, Parkinson, and I will _Avada _you where you stand," a cold voice hissed in his ear. Ambrose turned to see his arm held tightly by Gregory Goyle, the young wizard's features murderous.

"Greg, nooooo!" Pansy wailed, as her father released her. She covered her face and sank to the floor.

Goyle threw Parkinson's hand from him and slowly turned to face his best friend. For years, he had worn the mask of bumbling henchman, menacing bodyguard, but now he stood rock steady, ready to accept his fate. "Draco," he began, paused to clear his throat, and started anew. "Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, I am ashamed of what has come of my passions for Pansy here," he gestured to the crying witch. "But, I will accept whatever punishment you feel fit to deal out for me. I just ask, no... I beg you, to spare Pansy, for the sake of our child."

Lucius was silent, only turning to look at his son, one brow raised in question.

Rising from his chair, Draco approached Goyle. He eyed his long time companion, seeing something different now, something new and independent in the round faced wizards mien. "I have no desire to duel with you, Greg. I will simply pass the sentence for the crime you have committed against me, my family, the Parkinsons, to each of those assembled here today." Shaking his hair from his eyes, he glared at Goyle intently. "Are you willing to accept the judgment I will pass on you?"

Pulling himself taller, Goyle nodded. "Yes, Draco, it is nothing more than I deserve. I will not ask for your forgiveness, because what I have done is unforgivable, but again, I beg of you, spare Pansy."

The sobbing witch pulled herself across the carpet, and gripping Greg by the legs, wailed, "No, Greg, no! Do not do this thing!"

"Hush, Panz," he told her calmly, his fingers brushing her mussed hair, while his gaze remained fixed to his judge.

Draco pulled his wand, saw the tiny tic at the corner of Goyle's eye, and spoke. "I cannot honor your plea for Pansy, for she is as much a partner in this crime as you, Greg."

Mrs. Parkinson shrieked, "No! No! Not my Pansy! Mercy, Mr. Malfoy!"

"Shut up, woman!" her husband bellowed.

"This, then, is my will," Draco intoned, raising his wand and pointing it directly at his long time companion. He was pleased to see that Goyle never wavered, though Pansy continued to plead and sob. "I sentence the both of you to a life together. Take your witch and go, Greg, never forgetting the shame you have brought upon your name, her name..., my name," he concluded lamely, his heart not really feeling any sting at loosing the wailing witch.

Goyle blinked. "What are you saying, Draco?" he struggled to hide his relief, his rising hope.

Turning from the pair, Draco resumed his seat. "I am saying, take the witch and go. She is now yours to do with as you please. And may the gods have mercy on both your souls." He felt winded, as if he had run a great distance.

Bending, Greg gently pulled Pansy to her feet, tucking her gently under his arm. Looking at Draco, he could only nod his thanks. "Come, Panz, it is time for us to leave."

Pansy threaded her fingers through Goyle's. Turning to the family Malfoy, she dipped into a low curtsey. "Thank you for your mercy, Draco Malfoy."

"Yes! Take the whore and go!" Ambrose screamed, shaking his fist. He pointed a trembling finger at the pair. "You are no child of mine. I renounce you!"

"Ambrose, noooooooooo!" Mrs. Parkinson begged.

"From this moment on," Mr. Parkinson continued over his wife's pleading, "I have no daughter. It will be as if you were never born. Your name will be stricken from our tree! YOU are dead to the Parkinson family."

A black light flashed around the stunned Pansy and her mother screamed in anguish. The morbid glow faded, leaving Pansy unhurt, but bereft of family and name. Mr. Parkinson grabbed his mourning wife by the upper arm and yanked her to her feet. "Come wife, we have no further business here." So saying, he proceeded to drag the screaming, struggling witch from the chamber. The closing door cut off her cries.

"NO! Not my baby! My Pansy! My little baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaby!"

As the screams faded, the remaining members of the wedding party glanced slyly at one another, several of the witches' lips curling into mean, spiteful smiles.

Lucius Malfoy addressed the group sharply, his cold grey eyes raking over each of them, "Remember your Oaths! Speak of this to _no one! _If one hint of gossip concerning this event reaches my ears..." He spread his hands and shrugged, "I believe each of you understands my promise."

"Of course, Mr. Malfoy," and, "Silent as the grave, sir!" floated from nervous lips.

"You are all dismissed!" he told them.

The witches scattered like frightened bats. Soon the room was empty, save for the still sobbing Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle and the seated Family Malfoy. Draco watched as Greg attempted to comfort the mourning witch, speaking low in her ear, stroking her tangled hair. With a sigh he rose and approached the pair.

"You will want to wed as soon as possible," he informed them quietly.

"Yes," Greg answered for the both of them. "Draco - uh, I mean, Mr. Malfoy," his ball like face was suffused with scarlet, his nostrils flaring, "I am truly sorry for what has happened here today. Panz, here, she never told me about the kid, or I would have come to you earlier. I never meant for this to happen."

Draco was shaking his blond head. He placed a steady hand on Greg's shoulder. "The name is Draco." He smiled at the wizard tightly. "Now, you had best be on your way. Pansy will need to calm down or she will do herself some harm. You have my best wishes for a long and happy union, along with my heartfelt condolences for the same."

Gregory nodded, and bowing to Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, eased himself and his bride from the room. Vincent took the time to speak lowly to Draco, shake his hand firmly and then took his leave as well.

As the door clicked shut, Narcissa snorted in a most unladylike fashion. "That was rather uncomfortable, wouldn't you say?"

Later that night, Draco knocked softly on the door to his father's study.

"Enter."

Lucius looked up with some surprise at seeing his son. He tossed down the quill he had been using and leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking nicely beneath him.

"Draco, I had thought you would be out celebrating your sudden freedom? Sit down, my son."

"I would rather not for the moment, Father. What I need to say is better said while standing," Draco stated firmly.

"Then speak, Draco," Lucius gestured with one elegant hand.

"I have been doing some serious thinking since this morning, Father," the younger Malfoy said quietly.

"Your thoughts being?" Lucius prodded.

"I have disappointed you numerous times, Father. You have never failed to let me know when I have fallen short of your expectations. Today has been, yet another of those failures."

"Miss Parkinson's adulterous behavior can hardly be laid at your feet, Draco." _But if you had bedded the chit with more frequency, she would not have sought her pleasures with another, _his eyes declared. He could easily see that Draco intercepted his meaning.

"Never the less, Father, I want to make it up to you," Draco continued, his voice heavy.

Lucius leaned forward, his forearms resting on the finely grained top of his desk. "In what manner?"

Draco cleared his throat and pushed his shoulders back. "I want you to take me to the Dark Lord."

Lucius' eyes widened, his mouth becoming suddenly dry, but his son was not finished.

"I am ready to take the Dark Mark."

Narcissa's shrieks and howls could yet be heard even though Lucius had doubled the soundproofing wards on his study.

"MY SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON! You gave my baby to that monster!"

The doors shook with the force of her wand blasts, but held firm. Lucius was grateful for _that _much at least.

He held a snifter of fine imported brandy in his shaking hands, hands that had not stop their tremors ever since he had witnessed his son being marked by the snake faced Voldemort. After much bowing and scraping, he and Severus Snape had escorted the nearly unconscious Draco back to the manor, the Potions Master then departing with an acidic, "You must be _so proud!_"

Narcissa's wails continued, now punctuated by explosions and the sounds of shattering porcelain. "HOW COULD YOU? HOW COULD YOU?"

With a roar of anguish, Lucius hurled his snifter into the flames.

TBC

Bet you all weren't 'spect'n that now were ya? Big thanks go to luvwillie for the beta. I appreciate it, dear.


	13. Chapter 13

ï»¿bChapter 13 - Cats and Mountains/b Ginny Weasley was alone in the crisp morning sunlight that marginally warmed the low stone wall where she perched, a mug of swiftly cooling coffee in one hand, the society pages of The Daily Prophet in the other. Her freckled face was creased with worried sorrow as they lingered over the moving black and white photo before reading the accompanying article.  
biMalfoy and Parkinson - "Let's Just Be Friends?"/i/b iIn a surprise announcement late yesterday, Malfoy spokeswizard, Basil Pennyroyal, released an official statement on behalf of his clients. Speaking exclusively to The Daily Prophet, Mr. Pennyworth read aloud from a prepared document. "Lucius Darius Malfoy and Narcissa Malfoy, nee Black, announce the dissolution of the formal engagement of their son, Draco Black Malfoy to Pansy Andromeda Parkinson, daughter of Ambrose "Sharky" Parkinson and his wife Hyacinth Marie Parkinson, nee Ethelred"  
When questioned about the suddenness of the breakup, Mr. Pennyroyal replied, saying, "Both young people have expressed their sincere appreciation for one another, but feel that the union of marriage could only bring damage to their longstanding friendship. Miss Parkinson spoke to me just this morning and through tears expressed her regret at 'not loving Draco Malfoy in the manner in which he so richly deserves"  
Mr. Pennyworth refused all other questions and disapparated when pressed for further details.  
Attempts to contact other members of the bridal party have not met with success. All Prophet owls to bridesmaids and groomsmen have been returned to this office unopened.  
For further information on the estranged couple see, "Draco Malfoy, The Hogwarts Years," page 2C and "Pansy Parkinson, A Discarded Flower," page 2D.  
In a side note, chaos has erupted as those individuals who purchased tickets for prime viewing spots along the 'Bride's Route' seek refunds. See page 3C for information on how you may return your unused ticket./i "Oh Draco," Ginny sighed in compassion. "How is this going to effect your hostile takeover"  
Setting her cup aside, Ginny stroked her fingers lightly over the cool, patrician features of the blond wizard in the photo. At her touch, the achromatic figure seemed to relax, his eyes shutting for the briefest moment, before once more assuming the arrogant stance and aloof expression. The 'official' portrait was classical, with the bride seated upon a throne-like chair, the folds of her sumptuous robes falling to the floor in a graceful spill of white satin and lace,and the groom standing erect and resplendent behind, and slightly to the right, of his intended.  
Ginny admitted grudgingly that Pansy Parkinson looked beautiful, with the low neckline of her empire style gown emphasising the delicate length of her pale neck and the swell of her full breasts.  
" 'S one hell of a sticking charm there, Panz," the freckled witch remarked snidely. Ginny was amused by Pansy's expression, which was one of artfully concealed ire, as the action in the photo repeated itself over and over, and the gray toned witch persisted in her attempts at placing Draco's left hand upon her bare shoulder. Ginny watched as, each time, the photo Draco would sneer slightly in disgust before returning his hand to the large wooden knob adorning the back of Pansy's throne.  
"How in the world you believed you could bed the cow is beyond belief, Draco," Ginny admonished the glaring wizard. She snorted and reached for her drink, her brown eyes never leaving the animated newsprint. She swallowed a lukewarm mouthful of the bitter brew then screwed her eyes tight as something else in the image captured her attention.  
There!  
There it was again!  
And again!  
Her coffee forgotten, Ginny brought the page closer to her face, a faint, sad smile forming on her lips and tears pooling in her umber eyes.  
Each time Pansy would bring Draco's hand to her shoulder, her fingers would lift, revealing a distinctive, dark herringbone band. Every time, the wizard would sneer and return his hand to tightly grip the knob, as if it were an anchor, the foil band prominently displayed upon the third finger of that hand.  
i"An excellent piece. I will treasure it."/i A throbbing sweetness sealed Ginny's throat as she studied the blond wizard more closely, noting the harsh lines of his cheeks, the frigid glare of his pewter eyes, so unlike the Draco she had experienced at Snape Manor. Here was the Draco Malfoy of Hogwarts, cold, autocratic, and filled with disdain for the world at large, except.  
Except for those precious moments when he hurled a well calculated hex and was rewarded with a startled squeal or a shriek of anger. In those moments he had lowered his glacial wards and Ginny had been allowed to see the boy inside, the boy who longed to play, to have friends who had not been purchased, the boy who wanted so much to trust and be trusted. She had unknowing, even then, recognized their shared need.  
"Uh...Gin"  
The witch started then quickly folded the paper and scooped up her now chilled coffee. "Ron," she addressed her older sibling. Lifting the cup to her lips, she grimaced then poured the liquid upon the ground.  
Ron Weasley ducked his freckled face shyly as he sidled over to his sister and sat uncomfortably at her side.  
The silence stretched, the wizard uncertain where to begin, the witch, unwilling to allow him direction.  
After what seemed an age, Ron nudged his sister's shoulder and inquired with false briskness, "So, you doing okay"  
Ginny sighed. Gods, how she wished they would just STOP! "Yes, Ron, I'm ifine./i I was fine yesterday, I was fine last night, and I am fine right now," she stated with barely controlled patience. She took a deep calming breath, staring out over the neighbouring field where she could see garden gnomes crawling sleepily from their snug holes.  
Ron shoved his hands into his robe pockets and hunkered down while nodding at his sister. "Good," he muttered.  
Birdsong filled the chill air, flitting over the basal belches and booming farts of the waking gnomes. Following hard upon a particularly explosive, flatulent burst, the lanky wizard nudged his sister once more. "So, how are you ireally/i doing?" he mumbled.  
Ginny snorted through a reluctant smile and turned her head to glare at her brother. "Did Mum send you out here?" she asked.  
His rust coloured head snapped back as he rolled his blue eyes. "Are you barmey, Gin? She'd kill me if she even thought I was out here 'pestering her poor angel'," he concluded in a fair imitation of their mother.  
Ginny's brown eyes widened slightly. "Then, why iare/i you here"  
Ron's expression was one of shocked hurt, his face mottling while his lips worked soundlessly. Finally he rallied. "Bloody hell, Ginny, you're my sister!" he blurted. "I love you, and believe it or not, I bloody well care about what happens to you"  
The witch managed a tight smile that stopped before reaching her guarded eyes. "I appreciate that, Ron, I really do, but like I have already told you and everyone else, I'm fine," she stated with a firmness that refused any argument to the contrary.  
"Did... Malfoy," he bit the name off spitefully, "treat you well? I mean, he didn't try anything with you..." He fumbled to a halt when his sister surged to her feet and whirled to face him, her eyes now blazing in anger, her lips compressed into a tight line.  
"Try anything with me?" she murmured as her hands clenched at her sides.  
"Yeah," her brother replied, "you know...itry anything./i He was always at you at Hogwarts." Warming to the topic, Ron continued, "You never put the bastard off properly, and you two were alone for three days, Gin"  
"So," she spat, causing Ron to lean away from her apprehensively, "what you ireally/i want to know is whether Draco Malfoy shagged me or not!" she stated with heat.  
"You're damn right that's what I want to know!" he declared, his voice equally hot. He came to his feet as well, towering over his smaller sibling. He was surprised when his action did not cause her to back down or step away. She remained fixed, her feet firmly planted on the damp grass.  
"Well, Ronald Weasley," Ginny snapped, "you can go on iwanting,/i because whatever happened between me and Draco is just that, between me and Draco!" She emphasised her point by jabbing the tall wizard firmly in the chest.  
Ron's already frayed emotions snapped by a few more threads. "Oi, it's 'Draco' now, is it?" he sneered, his freckles vanishing as his face turned purple. "You were always odd about that bastard even at school, letting him use you as his private hex-toy," he growled. He looked his sister up and down with something close to distaste in his blue eyes.  
Ginny felt as if she had been hit with iIncendio/i so quickly did her body flame into rage. "You STUPID...CLUELESS," she shrieked, putting her hands on Ron's shoulders and pushing - hard.  
His center of balance suddenly off kilter, Ron tumbled backwards over the stone wall to land with a wet THUD. In the distance, gnomes giggled.  
"You don't have any idea of what I've been through!" Ginny screamed as she clambered atop the wall in preparation for body slamming her brother. "You don't know what it was like! You never bothered to even check on me!" She coiled her muscles to spring as Ron fearfully crab walked on his elbows, attempting to distance himself from the wrath he had unleashed. Her hands were clenched into tight fists, eager to begin pounding her cowering sibling's spotted nose to a pulp. Spittle flew from her lips as she snarled, "You were so wrapped up in your precious ifriends!/i Draco was the only one who saw ME!" She was leaning into her leap when a strong arm clamped itself around her waist and plucked her, shrieking and struggling from the wall. Ginny found herself crushed against a solid, warm chest and a burned scarred hand was stroking calmingly over her flaming hair.  
"Shhh, Gingersnap," Charlie's low, soothing voice entered her ear and she immediately relaxed into his embrace. "There, that's my girl," Charlie crooned as he turned his sister in his arms until her face was pressed into the scales of his dragon hide vest.  
"They just don't understand," Ginny wailed. "Nobody understands what he means to me. They just don't want to hear," she sobbed as Charlie rocked her slowly.  
"Well, yeah," Ron groused, gaining his feet and brushing grass and mud from his robes, "who wants to listen to you defend that Death Eater scum. For all we know, your little abduction could have been staged just so you and Malfoy could have an uninterrupted shag-fest"  
"Ron," Charlie growled in fury, "if I didn't know you were my brother, I would say you are a right bastard." He looked away from Ron's expression of dismay and laying a palm to Ginny's cheek, tilted her face upwards. "C'mon, sweetheart. You and me need to go somewhere quiet, and if you want to talk, I am willing to listen.  
Sniffling, Ginny nodded and then, hand in hand, the pair crossed the yard and passed through the garden gate.  
It was nearly midnight when Charles returned to the Burrow, his brother, Bill, Apparating close on his robe hem. The pair entered the homely sitting room to find the rest of the Weasley clan gathered, just has he had requested. "Charlie?" Molly inquired anxiously, rising from her place beside Arthur. "Where's Ginny?" The matron's face was heavy and lined with worry.  
"Gin is with Fleur," Bill answered for Charlie as they both made themselves as comfortable as possible in the crowded room. "She is spending the night at our place," he informed Molly.  
"But why?" Molly asked, he fingers going to her throat even as she felt the comforting pressure of Arthur's hand on her lower back. "Is - is she alright"  
"That's what we are here to discuss," Charlie stated in a hard voice, his blue eyes scanning each face in the room, resting with particular heat on Ron's, who coloured and sank deeper into his chair.  
And then Charles Weasley began to speak.

It was nearly three hours before Charlie allowed the group to break up. He had told them the story as he received it from his weeping baby sister, slightly amended to exclude the more intimate details of Ginny and Draco Malfoy's time together. That was for her to share as she felt necessary. His voice harsh with over use, the dragon tramer advised them all one last time, "Give her some room and by gods, when she is ready to talk, LISTEN!" He rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly. "Just listen to her, okay"  
Numb from his earlier revelations, they nodded, except for Arthur, who looked at his tall son with deep pride and love. Catching Charlie's eye, Arthur smiled broadly. Leaning forward, he clapped his son on the thigh. Charlie grasped his father's hand firmly. They stared at each other, wizard to wizard.  
"Thank you, Charles," the elder Weasley said with sincerity, while Molly wept quietly at his side.  
"Anytime, Da," Charlie responded, then addressed his mother. "Mum, Ginny doesn't want your tears. She just wants to know that you still love her - in spite of everything," he finished.  
"Of course I still love her!" Molly protested with a loud sniff. "How could she even think that"  
"Because that's what you, all of us, made her believe. Everyone was only too willing to put aside what happened to Gin in the Chamber, sweep it under the rug and hope it would just go away. I guess we were all too frightened to hear the truth, to accept the pain, and yes - our own culpability," he concluded with a grimace.  
"Thank Merlin she had Professor Snape," Bill interjected after the silence became too deep.  
"Yes, dear Severus," Molly sighed in agreement.  
Arthur nodded. "We owe him a debt we can never repay and I, for one, am honored to be obliged to him," he said, his normally cheerful voice quiet, yet urgent.  
"Let's not forget Draco Malfoy," Charlie was quick to remind the group. He saw Percy's shudder and Ron's body stiffen in anger.  
"Yeah," Ron sneered, "let's not forget the baby Death Eater"  
"Ron!" Molly gasped, outraged with her youngest son's behavior, "he rescued you sister from a crowd of those monsters"  
"Well, what was he doing with that 'crowd of monsters' in the first place? Seems pretty dicey to me, all too convenient," he finished, nodding in agreement with himself. "He doesn't wear the Mark, Ron!" Charlie insisted. "Ginny told me herself that he doesn't have the Dark brand"  
Ron huffed and drew himself up taller in his chair. "So she got a peek at Malfoy then, huh"  
Bill launched himself from his chair with a roar. "It would be his arm, you arse, not his ruddy"  
Molly screamed while Arthur attempted to scramble from his seat.  
Charlie latched onto his older brother's robe, holding him back. Glaring at Ron, Charlie spoke, his voice sounding very much like the dragons he tamed, "Ginny is not lying, and if you iever/i speak to her like you did this morning I will beat the shit out of you with my bare fists." He watched as Ron blanched. "I will then turn you over to Professor Snape for further instruction." He stabbed a finger in his brother's direction as he concluded his promise.  
Ron gulped and nodded. "I was only worried about her," he stated lamely.  
"Damn sorry way of expressing your concern," Charlie snapped. "You should have stood up for her at school! Did you never see the way those other kids treated her?" Ron winced from the truth of his brother's words. Charlie continued, "What have you done for her lately, Ron? Hell, you could have offered to help her find another job." The wizard puffed a heavy sigh. "I can understand Fortescue letting her go, not wanting all the publicity and all, but loosing her job was a big blow for Ginny"  
The family sat in silence for a moment before Arthur spoke. "While we cannot change the past there is something that each of us can be doing for Ginny now, to make her lot easier. We need to think about it"  
In the corner where they crouched, Fred and George shared an evil grin.

Ginny spent two days with her brother and sister-in-law, their small but beautifully appointed cottage an oasis of peace for the distraught witch. Fleur provided Ginny's greatest need, a young, female ear. She listened to the redhaired witch's story without judgment, offering support and a shoulder in equal amounts. When her brother, Bill, first told the family of his attraction for the Veela, Ginny had gagged in disgust with his choice. However, with the passing of time, she discovered the French witch to be highly intelligent, compassionate, and to Ginny's shock, downright funny. When Bill's wife presented Ginny with the carefully clipped and framed photo of Draco from the Daily Prophet, Ginny was touched beyond words.  
"I 'ave removed zat offensive person. Your Draco looks much 'appier, non"  
Ginny stroked the photo, replying sadly, "He is not my Draco"  
With a Gallic shrug and a flounce of robes, the blond witch joined her sister-in-law on the sofa, toying with Ginny's flaming hair. "E is free of zee Parkinson wench. You say 'e 'as admitted to a certain...tendre for you." Fleur lingered over her words, whispering softly into the younger witch's ear. Ginny shivered and in her brown eyes, there was a spark. "E is rich and very 'andsome," the part Veela added.  
"Yessss, he is," Ginny purred, before shaking her head. "The family would have a total cow!" she informed her grinning companion.  
"Well, zen you will never be without butter, cream or 'zose ozer cowy sings"  
Both witches collapsed in laughter. As they caught their breaths, Fleur prodded, "So, are you go-weeng after your wizard"  
Ginny huffed a cloud of red from her eyes, "Fleur, you don't understand," she explained softly.  
Fleur waved a hand in dismissal. "What is zere to understand? "E likes you, you like eem"  
"He rides, Fleur!" Ginny whispered in dismay.  
"So, you are afraid of 'orses"  
Ginny's mouth hung open in embarrassed shock before she blurted, "You know what it means, the riding"  
"Of course!" Fleur exclaimed as she arranged her robes into a more demure display, "I am from zee Pureblood"  
"That's just it, don't you see?" Ginny argued, "I didn't know that 'riding' meant horses. Our worlds don't even speak the same language. I don't have different robes for every hour of the day and I live in a drafty house with a ghoul in the attic." She jumped from the sofa and began to pace, her fingers curled into fist and punching the air. "He lives in a frigging castle with servants and that is as close as he ever intends to get to employment." Ignoring Fleur's snort of laughter, she continued presenting her argument. "The clothes on his back at any one point in time are probably worth more than my dad's monthly pay packet!" she finished in a hurt tone.  
Fleur observed her sister-in-law as she stood fingering the frayed edges of her robe pocket. "Eet is about zee Galleons?" the blond witch asked softly, surprised that any Weasley would put such stock in monetary gain.  
"No!" Ginny wailed to the ceiling, "It is about the entire lifestyle and mindset that millions and millions of Galleons provides." Her shoulders slumped as Fleur nodded her understanding. "Draco just about broke out in spots when I talked to him about getting a job, but he has this iincredible talent/i"  
"Malfoy is broke?" Fleur asked, her slender brows climbing into her fringe.  
Ginny rolled her eyes. "I am making a real hash of explaining this, but let's just say that if he were, he would rather starve than lower himself to actually get a job," she complained. Raking her nails along her scalp she added, "Besides being as different as silver and rust, how can I even be sure what he may have felt for me was real? Severus took me away before we could even say good-bye"  
"Well," Fleur countered coyly, "you will just 'ave to inquire of 'eem, non"  
Ginny furrowed her brow. "Ask Draco just what, if anything, he might feel for me?" she murmured in disbelief. The very thought of doing such a thing.  
"Where ees zee vaulted Greefindoor cooraage 'Ogwarts ees so famous foor, Zhinnee?" the Veela inquired coolly, her blue eyes hooded beneath her translucent lids. "What 'ave you to loose?" she added, watching as her words worked on her young friend. "If 'ee is open to a relationship, zee ozour problems will, poof. Vanish on zee winds"  
The redheaded Gryffindor was once more pacing the rug, this time slowly, her mind stirring the idea carefully, like a well-brewed potion. "It's not like I can just pop over to Malfoy Manor and ring the bloody bell," Ginny muttered under her breath as her thoughts churned. "Maybe an owl? No, anyone with eyes would recognize Errol, and Pig is itotally/i out of the question." Suddenly, she froze, her amber eyes shooting to the lounging Veela, whose own eyes lit up in mutual agreement.  
"Professor Snape!" the witches crowed as one.

Fred and George Apparated to Bill and Fleur's cottage forty-eight hours after Charlie's impromptu family meeting. The duel POP that announced their arrival nearly caused the lounging Ginny to capsize the large hammock where she lay, dreaming and plotting the capture of one Draco Malfoy.  
"While the rest of us poor sods labor and toil, our baby sister cools her heels," George moaned, flopping bonelessly down at his sister's side and causing the hammock to sway madly.  
"Too true," Fred agreed mournfully, adding his bulk to Ginny's net bed and nearly smothering her as the wizard's bodies rolled towards the center. The witch panted and wriggled as she struggled to reach the top of the pile.  
"Idle hands," George intoned.  
"Are the tools of evil," Fred concluded sagely.  
"What our dear sister needs"  
"... is to be occupied at all times"  
"and we just happed to know"  
"... of a full time occupation"  
As the twins ping-ponged their words back and forth, Ginny managed to work free of her freckled blanket. She scooted to the opposite end of the hammock where she could rest her shoulders between her brother's feet. She glared at them as two sets of identical eyes sparkled with mischievous mirth.  
"I don't care how much you are paying," she informed the pair, "I am not drinking, sucking, chewing, licking, inhaling, applying to any area of skin, or inserting into the various orifices of my body, anything you two have created"  
Matching hands mirrored one another as they flew to press themselves against duplicate breasts which, most likely, housed equally insincere hearts.  
"Ginny!" Fred cried in shock.  
"You wound us by your unreasonable..." George continued.  
"...yet historically accurate..." Fred was quick to point out.  
"...portrayals of our intent," George wrapped up for the pair, his blue eyes innocently wide.  
Ginny snorted in disbelief, her hand edging closer to her wand, just in case the two felt it necessary to impress her into their nefarious service.  
Fred clucked his tongue at their sister's overly cautious attitude. "It would seem, brother mine, that our baby sister is unwilling to accept our word that we have nothing but her best interest at heart," he pointed out needlessly.  
"So young and already so bitter," George agreed, his voice oozing pain.  
"It saddens me," Fred began.  
"To the core, Fred-o, to the very core," his twin concluded with an aggrieved sigh.  
"There's nothing for it then, Forge"  
"But that we offer our disillusioned sibling," George said while reaching into his pocket. Ginny's hand was instantly around her wand.  
"Tangible proof of our pure-hearted intent," Fred finished for George.  
Ginny's brown eyes narrowed to slits as she watched her brother pull a narrow cylinder from his pocket. He held it pinched between his thumb and forefinger, smiling smugly as he caused the tube to wobble enticingly.  
"Why, Forge," Fred gasped in mock surprise, his eyes impossibly wide, "what have you there"  
"This, my dear Gred, is occupation for idle hands." This said he tossed the object to his sister, who caught it easily. She looked at her brothers suspiciously, but they only grinned and nodded their encouragement. Studying the cylinder, Ginny recognized it as a document case. She rolled the tube, and finding the label, gasped.  
"It's from uni! What have you two done?" she demanded in alarm.  
The pair replied in tandem, "Open it, Gin"  
With rising trepidation, she did as they instructed. Several rolls of creamy parchment slid into her waiting hand. With disbelief growing on her face, Ginny read the entire contents before she looked up at her brothers.  
"This says I am registered with a full course load," she whispered. "I... I could be finished in"  
"Three semesters," Fred interrupted gleefully.  
"Not including the internship," George added. "Ruddy chap at the Registrar's wouldn't let us book that far ahead," he complained as Fred nodded his agreement. "You'd think having full tuition paid up front would have made the chap a bit more reasonable," George finished with a whine.  
"Total wanker," Fred solidly agreed.  
"You paid my tuition in full?" Ginny screamed, her breathing coming hard and fast.  
"Yes!" the twins piped, their eyes twinkling as they enjoyed her shocked response to their efforts.  
"Oh, and the books," Fred added, almost as an afterthought. "You bought my books?" Ginny asked, beginning to feel lightheaded.  
"You'd think with her good grades, she would be a more proficient listener," Fred informed his brother sagely.  
"Must be the result of all this lying about," George reasoned. "Her brain has started to atrophy"  
"Why?" the quiet whisper captured their attention.  
Ginny was flushed with excitement, her fingers trembling as they held desperately, hopefully, at the curling parchments. "Why," she repeated, "have you done this?" There was no doubt in her mind the documents were real. For all their pranking, the twins were never cruel.  
"Ginny," George's tone was gentle as he wrapped an arm about her legs and kissed a shin, "you're our sister"  
Ginny's eyes welled as Fred nodded his agreement, his long finger tracing up and down her calf.  
"It must have cost loads," she gulped, gratitude flooding her chest.  
"Loads," the twins acknowledged, and then Fred added, "Business is good. What's a cauldron full of gold between family members?" He laughed when Ginny poked him with her foot.  
"Anyway," George said, "not everyone in our family has been blessed with our natural good business sense and must therefore be trained for some menial task or some such"  
Rolling her eyes, the witch chuckled, "Now you sound like Draco." Glancing at her brothers, she felt her face go red.  
The twins settled deeper into the hammock. "How is that poncy ferret anyway?" George inquired casually.  
Fred rubbed his hands together gleefully. "Did he tell you any juicy secrets"  
Grinning, she replied, "He did make mention of a pair of spinster sisters"  
"The lovely..." said Fred "... and lucrative..." George modified quickly.  
"Misses St.Catchpole" they finished in concert with each other.  
"If they weren't us..." Fred started the thought.  
"...we'd marry them," George said with enthusiasm, then his brow furrowed. "There is that nasty age thing"  
"Ah yes," Fred added. "You know how society looks down on trophy wizards. Think of the scandal," he mused, wiggling his brows suggestively.  
Ginny burst out in laughter.  
They spent the rest of the afternoon chatting, laughing and planning. When suppertime rolled around, the twins escorted their happier, and much encouraged sister home.

Fall danced into Ottery St. Catchpole wearing robes of rustling scarlet and yellow, a frosty wind whistling through the denuded trees her snappy accompaniment. Many mornings found window panes and garden walls glittering with a fairy mural of ice as the fields grew brown and crisp, their roots settling in for winter's sleep. In the weeks following the twin's unexpected gift, Ginny immersed herself in her studies and her plans for approaching the dour Potions Master. Friend he may be, Ginny acknowledged, Severus could be as difficult to approach as a poked badger when the topic under discussion was not to his liking. From their long conversations over the years, Ginny knew that Severus valued her education and secure future over the "Unproductive pursuits of hormonal urges", and that he would likely frown on any continued interest in Draco Malfoy while a war escalated in their very midst. Equally vexing was the wording for the message she intended Severus to deliver on her behalf. Piles of ash decorated the floor of the youngest Weasley's bedroom, the smoke of their demise rising from the smoldering white lumps like confused wraiths, as she struggled to express the desire to meet with the silver-eyed goal of her heart without sounding too needy or too cool. Molly bit her tongue as the aroma of burnt parchment filled the ramshackle home, and kept her curiosity in severe check. The good matron simply made it a point to pick up extra writing materials for her daughter each time she popped into Diagon Alley, placing them into the girl's bulging book pack. Ginny acknowledged her mum's contribution with a kiss and a loving squeeze as she departed from the Burrow each day, hoping beyond hope that the woman took her manic attraction to quill and parchment as dedicated classwork.  
Ginny finally settled for the direct approach:  
iD,  
I need to meet with you.  
G/i The meeting with Severus was surprisingly easy to accomplish, coming as it did in the form of an ailing Kneazle named Phobus. The creature suffered from a vile infestation of Doxyticks, the much smaller cousins of the poisonous, drapery dwelling variety. While the venom of the Doxytick was not venomous, their voracious appetite for blood left many magical animals weak and dying. The typical application of Doxicide was useless against the tiny, black arachnids, since the potion was lethal to warm-blooded creatures. Normal treatments for the removal of common ticks and fleas proved ineffective as Doxyticks, once locating a host, released a tracking pheromone, allowing others of their kind to join the feast. No sooner had the original pests been removed then a new swarm moved in and settled down. Unless the Potions Master could develop a cure, Phobos was doomed to a long and agonizing demise.  
"I appreciate you taking this case on, Severus," Ginny said as she stroked the tortoise-shell fur of the now anesthetized Kneazle. "His mistress is desperate for a cure"  
"Yes, yes," Severus snarked, going over the witch's school notes while wearing a furrowed brow, "I am sure she is quite beside herself. Now, IF you don't mind?" he concluded in a clipped tone.  
"Sure," Ginny stated calmly, "never mind me." She grinned up at her friend, daring him to snarl.  
Using his best glare, Severus fixed the little redheaded healer to her seat then strode to one of the many book shelves that lined his study. Ginny watched as he stood, the hands yet holding her notes, folded behind his back as he stared balefully at the neatly arranged tomes. iIf I were the book he sought with such a look, I would be right quick to jump into his hands!/i she thought, biting back a snort of laughter.  
"The age of the creature, Miss Weasley!" Severus snapped, causing Ginny to jump on her stool.  
"Five, just a baby, really," she promptly answered, regaining her balance.  
The wizard huffed through his prominent nose. "A baby, indeed! You have grown maudlin on me, Miss Weasley, if you are becoming soft for your charges so soon in your career. He is a familiar, nothing more. I cannot abide how some people allow themselves to become attached to an animal, magical or no," he groused, finally selecting a thick potions text and returning to his own seat. "It speaks of a distinct weakness in character"  
Ginny cut her brown eyes to where a massive gray and white tabby lay on his back before the fire, the jewels of his collar flashing with the flickering of the flames, his white tummy rising and falling as he slept in well-fed bliss.  
"Not a word from you, witch," Snape warned menacingly, "Vincent is a valuable familiar. He more than earns his keep," he concluded.  
"Sure, Severus. Whatever you say, though I have never seen a familiar wearing a jeweled collar in Slytherin House colors," Ginny said glibly, her voice filled with mirth.  
A peeved grunt was her only reward as Severus quickly turned the pages of his book, his black eyes flying over the text. After a moment, he closed the tome with a satisfied smirk riding his lips. Laying the volume aside, he poured himself a cup of tea and took an appreciative sip. Ginny fidgeted,and knowing that Severus was enjoying her impatience, tried to still her bouncing knee and drumming fingers. Finally she relented and pleaded, just as he intended. "So?" she hissed with exasperation. "What have you found"  
Severus waggled a long finger. "Forbearance, young witch. Forbearance is a virtue to be prized and practiced," he teased.  
Ginny huffed at her fringe before gritting her teeth. "I am going to pound you with your own pestle, you great git, if you don't answer me right now"  
Ignoring the threat and the slur, Severus deposited his cup upon the table and leaned forward to whisper, "Pheromones"  
"Great Merlin, Snape!" the witch blustered. "We already know about the bloody pheromones! They'er what's buggering up any treatment we have administered"  
"Ah!" Snape was on his feet in triumph, leaning over his young companion. "But have you tried the ucorrect/u pheromones?" he inquired with a wicked grin.  
Ginny winced. "Uhh..." she began.  
"I thought not!" Severus snapped, pleased with himself beyond all measure. Erect once more, he began pacing back and forth before his former student in full lecture mode. Ginny was quick to recognize the moment for what it was and scrambled for quill and parchment. "It is a little known fact that Doxies," Severus barked, "release more than one type of chemical marker." The sound of a quill frantically scratching over parchment was his reward for this shocking declaration. "Since the majority of academics possess minds unencumbered with independent thought, I am unsurprised that they have failed to follow the existence of the 'dinner bell' scent to its logical conclusion. THAT being?" He stabbed a slender finger at Ginny as she busily scribbling like a sycophantic scribe.  
Pausing in her labor, Ginny gazed upwards, her eyes captured by the hovering digit. "Uh..." she began, "that where one pheromone exists, there could possibly be others?" Warming to the thought, she continued, "If there is a 'dinner bell', then why not an 'Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here' scent?" Ginny finished, tapping her quill against her lips as her brain churned with probabilities.  
Lowering his hand, Severus fixed the witch with his piercing, black eyes. "I am relieved that your brother's gold is not going to waste, Miss Weasley," he said with mocking severity.  
"Thank you,sir," Ginny replied, her cheeks tinting pink from her friend's rare praise. "So, you believe that we can produce a strong enough reaction from the Doxyticks..." she broke off as Severus interrupted her rudely.  
"We, Miss Weasley?" he drawled. "I was under the impression that the salvation of this creature was your assignment, not mine. iI/i already possess the necessary degrees for my current state of employment. You, however," he paused dramatically, one black brow arching, "do not," the wizard concluded with a sniff of disdain.  
Ginny's forehead hit the worktop with a THUD. "Alright already!" she wailed from beneath her thick curtain of red hair. Sitting upright, she gingerly rubbed at the sore spot above her freckled nose. "Thank you, Severus, for putting me on the correct track. I will be sure to give you credit when I write up my research," she advised him sweetly, though the sugar of her tone failed to reach her flashing brown eyes.  
Severus nodded curtly, but the corners of his thin lips were trembling slightly as he fought to rein in his smile. "See that you do, Miss Weasley," he told the feisty witch.  
Ginny returned her attention to her notes. "I will need to come up with some strategies for alarming the little bastards, though," she confessed softly. Looking up at her former teacher with wide, wet eyes, she blinked slowly. "Any suggestions"  
"Static electricity," Severus began, only to slam his fisted hand down hard on the table. "DAMN! You beguiling, conniving thing!" he thundered.  
"You fall for that one every time," Ginny chuckled as she jotted his suggestion down on her parchment. "You'd think you would have learned by now"  
A tinkling alarm robbed Severus of his response to her jab, and he flowed swiftly to a nearby workstation where he gently removed the cover from a softly simmering cauldron. Holding his hair from his face, the Potions Master leaned over the brew and peered intently into its depths. Ginny stared with bated breath for verdict and released a grateful sigh when Severus' features relaxed somewhat in satisfaction. Replacing the lid carefully and extinguishing the flame, he turned to an attentive Ginny and folded his arms over his chest. On his face was an expression of gloating repletion. Rising from her stool, Ginny approached the covered brew. "You are looking pretty smug about something, Severus," she acknowledged. "Want to share"  
Snape canted his head slightly, as if pondering her request, his eyes never leaving her own. "First," he whispered, "I think a test is in order. What do you remember of the potion that renewed The Dark Lord's body?" His gaze bore through Ginny and she drew away with a slight shiver.  
"Th - the one with Harry's blood?" she inquired in a small voice.  
"The very one," the Potions Master replied quietly, his tone a gently rumble that did little to settle the young redhead's nerves.  
Ginny stroked her hands up her suddenly chilled arms, thinking hard at remembering word for word the horrible spell Harry had spoke of those many years ago. "Uh -," she began, "bone of the father, unknowingly taken, you will renew your son"  
"Yessss," Severus purred and motioned for her to continue.  
Ginny shuddered but cleared her throat and spoke in a firmer voice, "Flesh of the servant, willingly given, you will revive your master"  
Snape slowly closed his eyes as she uttered the words. "Now," he commanded her in a breathless whisper, "tell me the last"  
Remembering the bloody mess of Harry's arm, Ginny gulped before finishing, "Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe"  
Severus nodded slowly, his black eyes still shielded behind pale lids. "Now, Miss Weasley, tell me, who, besides Potter, has survived a death curse cast by Voldemort? Who to your knowledge has been marked by that foul creature and walked away with their life?" The obsidian eyes opened wide and Ginny gasped from the intensity, the fire, burning deeply within the dark orbs.  
"Me?" Ginny peeped.  
Reaching out a pale hand, Severus gently stroked her hair, comforting her now as he had many times in the past. "Indeed, you Ginny"  
Brown eyes darted to the innocently crouching cauldron. "You have re-created the regeneration potion? Why?" she insisted, her voice tinged with disbelief.  
To her surprise, Severus chuckled and pulled her into his arms. "To destroy the bastard, what other reason would there be for such a potion"  
Drawing back, she peered intently into the Potions Master's face. "But how?" Ginny queried. "It's not like the ingredients are just laying about the house, you know"  
Taking her by the hand, Severus returned Ginny to her stool. "Sit," he instructed while he poured them both a cup of tea. The witch listened in rapt attention as the dark wizard began his explanation. "The bone of the father was simple to locate, as you can imagine. Mr. Riddle is, after all, just laying there waiting to be harvested," Severus advised dryly. "Flesh of the servant, now that proved a bit stickier, but I was finally able to convince a low-ranking Death Eater of the benefits of contributing to a worthy cause"  
"You talked some poor sod into giving up a body part?" Ginny shrieked. "That's horrible, Severus"  
Snape had the grace to appear abashed as he shrugged elegantly. "It was only a toe, Miss Weasley," he defended, "and I iObliviated/i him afterward. He now believes to have suffered the loss during a drunken Quidditch brawl. I fail to understand why you are being so squeamish when we could possibly be on the verge of winning this bloody war," Snape concluded self-righteously.  
"It's just - gross, that's why!" Ginny fought back a gag.  
Severus rolled his brilliant black eyes with a huff of annoyance. "Do you wish to hear the rest of this or not?" he snapped.  
Keeping one hand tightly over her mouth, Ginny waved him on with the other and nodded for him to proceed.  
Rubbing his hands together briskly, Severus grinned an evil grin that set the witch's skin to crawling on her frame. "Like Harry Potter, you have been touched by Riddle's evil. He failed in his attempt to kill you in the Chamber, and in doing so, marked you as a true enemy." His gaze traveled to the covered cauldron. "When you offered up your blood, your ivirgin/i blood, you presented me with a rare opportunity, Miss Weasley," he told her reverently. Turning once more to his companion he added, "You may have very well placed in my hands, the weapon that will allow Potter to actually fulfill the Prophesy"  
He watched as Ginny's expression changed from confusion to one of incredulous shock. "Get outta here!" she whispered in awe.  
Snape's grin widened. "Indeed," he purred.  
"What exactly will this stuff do?" she inquired, breathless with amazement.  
"Wormtail's original potion enabled the Dark Lord to speed the growth and strength of his existing body; this new brew will reverse the process. How long it will take?" He paused to shrug. "I do not know"  
Ginny shook her head, trying to take it all in. Her brain had slowed to crawl and breathing was becoming difficult. When she was finally able to speak, she stunned the Potions Master with the directness of her thinking. "Now that we have a possible weapon, Severus, how do we intend to get it into him"  
Snape leaned back against the hard edge of his worktable and steepled his long fingers against his lips. "Therein lies the rub, Miss Weasley," he admitted wryly. "We have ammunition, but no device for delivering the blow." The two sat in silence, ruminating over the possibilities.  
"Will you show me the potion, Severus?" she bid her restrained accomplice. With a nod he complied. Ginny slowly followed the wizard to the cauldron that steamed and bubbled over its unlit burner. Holding Ginny's brown eyes with his own, Severus lifted the heavy lid.  
Silver and gold spirals of smoke roped their way into the air above the open cauldron. He jerked his head in agreement at her wordless inquiry and Ginny leaned closer, her eyes peering into the shimmering depths. The colorless potion rolled silently within its black, cast iron prison, occasionally sending up bright twinkles of light that reminded the observing witch of the fireflies that decorated the summer nights of her country home. She looked up at her former teacher, taking in his furling brow, a sure sign of his discomfort.  
"This is really great, Severus!" Ginny crowed, proud for her dear friend's sake. "We can't let something like this go to waste. Have you informed the Order? Does Professor Dumbledore know?" she pressed, gripping Severus tightly by the upper arm after he had once more covered the sparkling substance.  
Now it was Snape's turn to appear shocked. "Of course I have not informed the Order," he stated angrily, "nor have I spoke of this to Albus"  
Ginny's attempt to shake his tall frame met with little success so she settled for pushing hard against his broad shoulders and crying, "For Merlin's sake, why not"  
Attempting to mask his sheepish expression behind a curtain of hair, Severus muttered, "It was your blood. I thought it only proper you should be the first to know"  
"You sweetie, you!" Ginny gushed, throwing her arms around his neck and planting a wet kiss upon his cheek.  
"Ach!" Severus gagged, pushing his exuberant assaulter away. "I am NOT sweet!" he protested. "After all I have done for you and yet you dare attach that disgusting appellation to my person!" Swatting at her hands, he defended himself from further kisses. "Calm yourself, woman"  
With a laugh, Ginny fell back onto her stool, her hair spilling around her face in a flaming riot of curls. "You are the most brilliant wizard in the world, Severus Snape," she declared. "I don't tell you that nearly often enough." She watched, smiling, as the surly wizard pulled a pristine handkerchief from his pocket and scrubbed vigorously at his cheek. "When this crap is finally over, I am going to make sure that every witch and wizard in Great Britain knows about your efforts," she informed the growling wizard stoutly.  
"They will more than likely tuck you away in St. Mungos for your efforts," Severus grunted, checking his handkerchief for tell-tell stains. "And please refrain from further physical outbursts. They are most unbecoming"  
Ginny grinned before asking, "When are you going to tell Draco"  
Tucking the cloth back into his pocket, Severus cocked an irritated brow. "Pray, why would I be telling Mr. Malfoy anything concerning this potion?" he sneered.  
Ginny blinked. "Well," she began slowly, "he kinda, sorta played a part in the 'blood freely given' thingie"  
Severus raised a stalling hand. "You gave the blood freely to ME, not to Mr. Malfoy," he challenged peevishly."You are playing with words"  
"You know what I am talking about, Severus," she retorted with a pout. "I think Draco has a very good right to know about this development," the witch informed her doubtful audience of one. "You could very well have some of his very personal property in there, you know!" she finished wiggling her index finger suggestively in Snape's direction.  
"Now I shall truly be ill," Severus complained, blanching. "Must you draw such a vivid picture"  
Cocking her hip outward, Ginny leaned her elbows on the marble top and nudged Severus with her shoulder. "So," she pried carefully, "you see much of Draco lately"  
Severus pursed his lips and shrugged. "A bit," he admitted.  
Ginny considered this scrap of information then asked, "Is he well"  
The Potions Master recalled the battered and bloody Slytherin that lay upon his lawn just two weeks prior. Even though Severus had healed the wounds he had inflicted upon Draco's body following their little 'Come to Merlin' meeting, he had allowed the black eye and the split lip to remain as discouragements against further obliquity. "Fairly well, yes," the wizard prevaricated.  
With a huff, Ginny turned on Severus. "Fairly well?" she asked, incensed. "That's it, 'fairly well"  
Sighing, Severus inquired, "What would you have of me, Miss Weasley?" From the stubborn poke of her bottom lip, Severus knew he already had his answer.  
"I want to see him, Severus," she responded without hesitation.  
Severus' lip curled, this time in derision. "You iwant/i to see him," he whined mockingly. "Some of the things that we bwant/b are ill-advised at best, deadly at their worst." Pushing past the startled witch, the now fuming wizard grabbed the still snoozing Kneazle by his limp tail and with angry swipes, began cleaning the work surface with the animal's plush body. "What assurances do you have that Mr. Malfoy wishes to make contact with you?" he demanded through pinched lips. Oh, he did not want to be the one to inform Ginny Weasley of Draco Malfoy's choice!  
Ginny, alarmed by Severus' sudden change stepped close and laid a freckled hand upon his upper arm. "Why are you so angry?" she inquired plaintively.  
Severus continued to swing the slumbering feline over the marble surface, the wizard's expression flat and tight. He had already experienced this very same conversation with Draco not a fortnight before! That he had to finally resort to wand and fists to dissuade the young wizard from his foolishness gave Severus little pleasure. The same tactics could hardly be applied to Miss Weasley!  
When Severus failed to respond, Ginny shrugged and said, "Never mind, I will just find him myself"  
Internally, the laboring wizard flinched. A similar attitude from Draco had earned the blond a broken jaw.  
"If you have finished dusting, I will just take Phobus and go," Ginny advised with a dispirited voice. Severus released the Kneazle, allowing the animal to glide over the slick black top into Ginny's hands. She quickly scooped the limp Phobus into her arms and turning, bent to place him in his wicker carrier.  
"Draco has taken the Dark Mark." Severus's cold statement reached Ginny's ears, causing the witch to flinch mightily. Biting her lip against the pain rising in her chest, Ginny gently settled the Kneazle, closed the woven lid and buckled the fastening straps. Pushing herself to her feet, she fought the wave of vertigo that threatened to sweep her into blackness. She reached blindly for support and gripped the table's edge with fingers that throbbed from the strain. The chamber whirled crazily as the stones beneath her feet canted and heaved. "Here," Severus said, gripping both of her elbows from behind and pulling the gulping witch flush with his chest. "Steady now, Ginny," he murmured soothingly. "Slowly, through your nose, just as I taught you. Keep your eyes open. Breath"  
Ginny clung to the anchor of Severus' voice, her back pressed securely to his chest. Her eyes remained open and fixed upon the cherry carriage clock that had been her last Christmas gift to the saturnine dungeon master as she once more allowed herself to rest upon the rock that was their friendship, trusting in the resolute support he offered. The thin, gold second hand swept smoothly over the clock's cream face, erasing time as Ginny painfully, slowly labored to expand her lungs by way of the small opening above her mouth. She fought the desire to open her tightly compressed lips and drink in great gulps of air.  
"Relax against me," Severus crooned. Strong arms encircled Ginny's shoulders and waist, and she wrapped her fingers about his forearm, holding on for all she was worth as the twilight gloom faded from before her eyes and calm begin to fill her once again. The carriage clock announced the quarter-hour with a disgustingly cheery chime and Ginny shivered against Snape's black-clad chest. "Are you better?" he inquired as the chime faded upon the chill dungeon air.  
She responded by holding to him tighter, "A moment or two more, just to be safe," she wheezed.  
"As you wish," he complied easily.  
With a tired nod, Ginny relaxed further into his embrace, her head now lying within the valley formed by the curve of his upper arm and chest. When she spoke, Severus had to listen hard to hear her whispered words.  
"He meant it, Severus. Every word of his stupid, ridiculously brave pledge"  
"Yes," he admitted. "So it seems"  
Ginny pivoted softly in the circle of Snape's arms, resting her cheek upon his lapel. "He is just going to get himself killed"  
Severus snorted before saying, "Most likely, yes"  
"Am I cursed to always love foolish, suicidal, over-achieving wizards?" Ginny wailed into the broadcloth beneath her face.  
"You do have a disturbing habit of choosing the wrong men in your life," Severus snarked gently.  
Ginny pulled back to peer up at his pale face, her brow now creased with irritation. "That is a cauldron of Fang shit, and you know it, Severus!" She paused, thinking. "Well, definitely that thing with Tom, but don't you dare go and equate yourself or Draco with that monster," she concluded firmly.  
Severus shrugged as if saying 'whatever', allowing the tiny witch her own misguided opinion. "Now that you have once more decorated my waist-coat with your excretions, your work here is complete. I suggest you sit, drink another cup of tea and then be on your way. It will dark soon and you do not need to be flying with only moonlight to guide you." Despite his cool words, he led her gently to a chair and placed the still shaking witch upon the seat.  
Swiping a tangle of rust colored hair from her eyes, Ginny spoke solemnly. "I need to see Draco more now than ever, Severus. I can talk him out of this foolishness." She peered up at Severus, her brown eyes filled with passionate intent.  
"Miss Weasley," he released in an aggrieved sigh as he placed a steaming mug into her hands, "iI/i attempted to beat the foolishness out of his ungrateful arse, but he would not budge in his decision to end his worthless life in a blaze of misguided glory, so I fail to see how you could possible be success"  
"Because he iloves/i me, Severus!" she interrupted boldly, her eyes sparking with conviction, hope beginning to fill her face.  
"How do you know this?" he snapped back quickly.  
"Because he told me so, that's how!" she was just a swift to respond.  
Severus scowled blackly. "And you swallowed that bit of tripe, did you?" he ejaculated snidely.  
Ginny's face collapsed and Severus felt his heart sting with remorse.  
"You told me to trust him, Severus," she said in a broken whisper.  
Throwing his arms wide, the Potions Master declared loudly, "For that one moment, not your entire lifetime, woman!"

"If I could trust him in that one terrible moment, why inot/i for my entire lifetime," she cried hotly, setting her cup aside and coming to her feet. "You asked me to trust him with my life, and I did. I still do, you infuriating man, you!" Sweeping around the chamber, Ginny collected her cloak and broom. "You kept me sane as a student, Severus. You gave me a reason for life when everyone else was willing to let me fade into nothing. Do you think I would stand by and let harm come to you when there was even the smallest chance to help you"  
The wizard turned his face from the snarling, stalking lioness, pinching the bridge of his protruding nose between his finger and thumb. Her words rolled over him like scalding water, melting the flesh from his bones and leaving him bare.  
"It is the same with Draco," she panted, shrugging into her faded cloak. "He saved me in the same way. Like you, he actually took the time to isee/i me! I am NOT going to abandon him to some foolhardy quest when there is the slightest chance my words may sway him!" Swooping to a halt at the wizard's side, she added, "You thought I was worthy of saving, why not Draco"  
Severus' fingers left the cleaving of his septum to snap imperiously in her face.  
"What?" Ginny demanded.  
"The parchment, the parchment, you troublesome sprite," he snarled. "Surely you have already prepared some missive you would have me deliver to your brooding inamorato"  
Stunned into inactivity, Ginny could only stand, open-mouthed at Severus's sudden capitulation.  
Severus leaned close to Ginny's startled face, a nasty leer upon his pale features. "Your message, IF you please, Miss Weasley," he sneered.  
"Oh, yes, of course!" she stuttered, fumbling in her bag before finally extracting a much wrinkled bit of parchment and handing it over.  
Fingering the battered bit of material, Severus drawled, "New stationary, Miss Weasley? How provincial"  
Ignoring his jibe, Ginny grinned happily and gaining her tiptoes, quickly kissed the nose that hovered so near. "Thank you, Severus. I won't let you down"  
Severus attempted a frown as he once more pulled his handkerchief from a pocket. "You never have before, Miss Weasley"  
O 

Seveurs Snape entered the grounds of his wager-won estate from the rear of the property. The icy wind of late autumn carried the sound of a dull staccato thud to the dark wizard's ears and he followed the constant dry rhythm until he spotted the source.  
Draco Malfoy, bare chested and sweating, wielded the ax he swung over his head with practiced determination. Severus observed as each blow met its sylvan target in precise, deadly strokes, felling the young tree in one mighty sweep. With a grunt, the blond wrenched his fallen foe fro the ground and whirled it behind him where it landed in a prickly pile of its brethren. Judging from the height of the pile, Draco had been at his assigned task for some time, and Severus smiled with dark satisfaction. Nothing like hard, physical labor to keep idiots out to trouble, he beamed internally.  
"I see yo have managed to clear the side parcel," Severus called, announcing his presence to the young ax swinger.  
This elicited another grunt from Draco as he attacked the next tree, sweat pouring down his chest despite the chill of the evening. "I have also managed to clear the refuse from the formal gardens as well," he responded with a petulant sneer, "as per your orders"  
Striding forward, Severus paused by the impressive pile of dead wood, admiring its height and breadth. "Excellent," he proclaimed, then added, "When you are finished, you will need to burn the pile." He whirled on his exhausted. perspiring companion. "A smokeless fire, mind you. The vapors play hell with my sinuses"  
Panting heavily, Draco tossed his ax aside and sketched a mocking bow. "Will there be anything else you desire, Severus?" The bruises around the wizard's eyes had faded to an unbecoming blend of green and yellow, and the gash to his lips remained scabbed and swollen, but Draco retained his air of indulged superiority. He glared across the short expanse of lawn at his former instructor.  
Unrepentant, Severus cocked a brow. "Careful, my young apprentice," he intoned darkly, "lest you discover how vast are my desires concerning you." Nodding to the discarded ax, Severus informed the panting Slytherin, "You will want to clean and sharpen the blade before returning it to the garden shed. Meet me in the library when you have completed your chores." So saying, the wizard whirled in a cloud of dark material and strode purposely towards the waiting manor.  
Watching the retreating form, Draco whinged a high pitched, "You will want to clean and sharpen that blade!" Snatching the tool from the ground, he shook it in the direction of the departed Potions Master. "I will clean it on your carcass you black-hearted, son-of-a"  
"My hearing is quite excellent, Mr. Malfoy," Severus's called from the rising gloom of the night.  
Draco froze. "Bugger that," he sighed, turning to make his way to the garden shed.  
& After a quick shower, Draco entered the library to find Severus sipping cognac from a crystal tumbler and going over his most recently arrived owls. Waving a dismissive hand in the direction of the new arrival, he indicated that Draco pour himself a similar libation. Glass in hand, Draco eased himself into a chair before the fire, recalling a comparable night, just a fortnight prior, when after drinks, Severus had proceeded to beat the shit out of the pewter-eyed Slytherin for being so foolhardy as to take on the Dark Lord. The pair sat now in companionable silence. Draco imbibed the burning liquid and was pondering the ifs and whens of Severus's addressing him, when a crumbled bit of parchment landed unceremoniously in his wool-clad lap.  
"Once more I have been commissioned to act as your news bearer," Severus snarked from behind the rim of his tumbler. "It is becoming tiresome"  
Draco wordlessly opened the missive, his eyes widening and his face paling with it's brevity. After a moment, he swallowed. "She wants to see me"  
A roll of black eyes was all the response the blond received. "Did she give a reason for this, ah... meeting?" Draco pressed, panic rising in his chest.  
Tossing back the last of his drink, Severus purred sourly, "She wants to isee/i you Mr. Malfoy. I imagine she does not time me capable of caring for you in an appropriate manner." With a lazy beckoning of his fingers, the cognac bottle floated gently to the Potions Master's hand.  
Folding the parchment, Draco tucked it into his robe pocket, mindful of his still healing ribs. "So, you saw her today then. Is - is she well"  
"What is this penchant young people have for inquiring about the 'wellness' of the other?" Severus groused before giving in. "She had the required allotment of fingers and facial appendages. There were no bald spots that I noted and as her figure is as stick-thin as ever, your fears of impending fatherhood can be laid aside"  
Spitting liquor, Draco exploded from his chair. "Bloody hell, Severus, that was uncalled for!" he bellowed hotly. Pulling his wand, Draco muttered a quick iScourgify/i to his soaked shirt, while looking angrily at the seated Severus.  
"That was the question uppermost in your mind, was it not?" he inquired politely, while his tone indicated that he was anything by pleased about the acts that had led up to Draco's musings.  
Seated once more, his tumbler refilled, Draco snorted, "Well, yes, that thought did ioccasionally/i rear its vexing head, but to spring such a thing on a wizard! Damn you man, have you no tact?" he demanded.  
"Not a whit," was Snape's dry rejoinder. The wizards sat in morose silence, the sharp popping of the flames, the only sound. The dark Master of Potions was in fact surprised by Draco's seeming brown study. Surely, the blackeyed wizard mused, the pup should be over the moon at finally hearing from the girl! Finally Severus, tired of the gloom, took a deep pull from his cup and waved the drink mockingly. "This is ludicrous, Draco. We sit here brooding over our liquor like doddering old greybeards. Even Dumbledore is better company than you at present," he groused, frowning at the younger wizard. "Although to your credit, you have better taste in robes and lack that infernal itwinkle/i," he snarled.  
Draco rolled his head on the cushion so that he now faced his friend. "Would you have me speak of happy things, Severus?" he quired softly. "Forgive me, for I have none to share"  
"What of your time with Miss Weasley? What of your planned 'trist'", Severus insisted, sitting forward and resting his forearms upon his thighs. If anyone could talk the young Slytherin from his present course, it would be the titian Weasley. Even more so than before, Severus wanted the pair to speak. He jerked his face towards Draco, the firelight reflecting back sharp and hot from his onyx gaze. "You will be pleased to know she was most anxious to see you." he added.  
Draco shrugged and absentmindedly rubbed the concealed parchment. "I have not yet decided if I will be seeing Ginny," he said.  
Severus winced internally but keeping his voice calm, said, "You owe her"  
"Yes, I know," Draco admitted after sipping from his glass. "More than I could ever repay"  
"Then you will contact her," Severus prodded. "Either give her hope or set her free, Draco"  
Draco came to his feet and running his fingers through his moonlight hair, groaned, "Hope? Hope of what, Severus"  
"That she matters to you, you gormless twit!" Severus snarled. "If she matters not, then set her free"  
Draco grasped his cup with blanching fingers, forcing himself not to break the piece. The idea of turning Ginny away, the thought of her eternal absence, caused his stomach and its contents to roll. "I - I cannot. Gods damn me for a coward, but I cannot give her up," he finally growled.  
"It is the brave wizard that stands by and for his witch, Draco," Severus advised. "While this - thing - you and Miss Weasley share is ill advised at this time, adversity is better faced with a companion." Stunned by his own insight, Severus downed the last of his drink and glared at the empty tumbler. "This batch must be off, I sound like Albus-Bloody-Dumbledore"  
Equally amazed Draco flopped back into his chair, extending his glass to his host. "I never took you for an agony aunt, Cousin, but your words are well placed and I will think on them. Now, be a mate and top me off." Severus complied and filled his own vessel as well. The pair returned to their study of the crackling flames.  
Draco wriggled further into his chair, his feet nearly resting on the hob. "Have you any pleasant news, any happy note to fill our evening?" he applied of his drinking partner.  
The dark, slender wizard pondered the question for a moment, then a sly grin curled the corners of his thin lips. "I hear Miss Weasley has enrolled full time in Edinburgh," he supplied neatly.  
Draco felt his heart smile with the news, then he sat up, wincing, a puzzled frown on his face. "I am pleased to hear, but where did she obtain the gold? Last I heard, Fortescue sacked her for fear of more attacks upon his business"  
iAhh, keeping tabs on her, are we?/i Severus smirked mentally as he spoke, "Yes, she was released by Fortescue, but it would seem the matchless marvels, Fred and George Weasley have finally come across an outlet for their excess of funds. They have paid her tuition in full, right up to her graduation," he finished by toasting the absent twins with his cup.  
Draco was not so forgiving. "They should have done that long ago," he insisted.  
"I agree, but we cannot force the hands of others," Severus stated dryly. "They must be able to see the need before meeting the same"  
"I bloody well saw her need," Draco snapped. "I did not live in her dormitory, nor was I counted as friend, but I could see that she needed something, someone"  
"And you became that 'someone' for her," the older wizard stated.  
Draco shrugged, once more causing himself to wince. "She was disappearing right before our eyes, her light was fading, and I - I could not allow that to happen," he insisted plainly.  
"Very commendable on your part, Draco, though I must say, your choice of therapy left a great deal to be desired, at least by the staff," Severus said, hiding a smile behind his glass.  
"We always repaired the damage," the blond defended. "Well, sometimes." He chuckled and said, "Do you remember when I got her with that Diricawl jinx? Every time she got the least bit anxious, she would vanish in a burst of feathers? POOF!" He held his hand over his tender ribs.  
Severus nodded. As I recall, it took her several days to figure out that particular spell. She disappeared quite a few times during Potions," he stated. "Her revenge was masterful," he added slyly.  
"Well yeah, " Draco sighed, "So, okay, iSmirking Flatulence/i was a brilliant move on her part. I never knew how often I wore that particular expression"  
Severus chuckled as he remembered. "Your house mates were more than taken with that jinx. It took days to get the smell out of the dungeons"  
"Yeah, but I paid her back real good for that one! Planned it for days"  
The voices of the men faded into the night as memories and future plans became intertwined.

bBig thanks to Wolfey for her excellent beta skills and her brutal sacking of unnecessary commas and crap like that. She is such a dear to do this monster of a chapter and get it back to me so quickly. I know there ain't much going on in this chappie, but I only have two left before we are done. You have waited long enough for an update. I couldn't make you wait longer. Let me know what you think. Love ya! gotsnape/b 


End file.
